If You Can Save Me
by Nemoa
Summary: Kagome spots Kikyou and Inuyasha in an embrace,  she tries to get to her own era. But just then a demon attacks her. What's more, this time InuYasha is not there to save her.    Longer summary inside.
1. Summary

Kagome spots InuYasha and Kikyou in an embrace, Inuyasha telling loving words to the dead miko. In rage (or maybe sorrow) Kagome flees to her own time. But just by the Bone Eater's well a demon attacks her. And does she care?  
>InuYasha isn't there for her anymore and she is ready to give up and die, when suddenly someone - the most unlikely - comes to her rescue.<p>

How will things work out in this novel of drama? Will the mysterious saviour win her heart? Will the lone wolf become her pet? Or will she return to the one who first broke her heart?


	2. Chapter 1

"…and here are some antidote against certain poisons and I also brought with me some bandages"

Kagome Higurashi said as she plucked out one thing after another from her big backpack. As all the things lay on the wooden floor in lady Kaedes hut she rose and smiled at her friends.

"Well, I gotta' go, see ya!"

Before they could stop her or before her plastered smile fell from her face she hurried out of the hut and into InuYashas Forrest. She was soooo going home and not ever coming back.

She was so… oh, what was it? Mad? Sad? Or both? Yeah, definitely both. InuYasha had promised that he wouldn't see Kikyou all by himself. And did he follow his promise? No.  
>Then Kagome had spotted them by the Sacred Tree were Kikyou had nailed InuYasha for fifty years. InuYasha had… <em>promised<em> Kikyou he would protect her, that her life was his and vice versa. And then Kagome squeezed her backpack, and blinked away the hateful tears. Then when Kikyou had gone and InuYasha realized Kagome had seen and heard everything he had just looked at her. Straight at her. Why hadn't he turned away his eyes? What was it that had made it feel as if he had chosen? As if…

"Baka!" she muttered and mentally slapped her face. "What do I care about that jerk? If he wants to hook up with a dead girl, so be it! I don't care!"

_Yes you do,_ an annoying little voice said in her head. She was pretty sure it was her broken hearts voice.

* * *

><p>"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you?"<p>

The dog demon made a face as his servants voice screeched in his ears. How had he, this Sesshomaru, got such a lowly servant? An _imp_ by all means! Jaken were convenient at times, but most he only made this lords ears hurt as if Hell were there to take him.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshooooomaru-samaaaaa!"

And that little girl, what had he been thinking when he brought her along? She had showed him kindness when his little brother InuYasha had used Wind Scar at him and nearly killed him. She had brought him food and water. Even though demons didn't necessarily eat the same things as humans and hanyous. And then when wolfs came and killed both her and whole her village, Sesshomaru had pitied her. In the end he had saved her using the Tenseiga to bring her back to life.  
>Nonetheless, little Rin made almost as much noise as Jaken. Worse, she was a human.<br>With his inherited speed he rushed to the noises, and soon he had kicked Jaken out of his seat aat Ah-Un.

"Ouch! Who dare to.." the imp growled, but lost his train of thoughts as he saw his lord. "Lord Sesshomaru! Where have you been? We have searched for you for so long! Not that we were worried for your safety or so, because we know that no one can beat Lord Sesshomaru-sama. Well except that damn half-demon brother of yours.."

When Jaken realized exactly what he had said to his lord he squealed.

"Not that that worthless hanyou could ever defeat you in near combat, my lord! Please forgive my rudeness at speaking without my mind, I, Jaken, humbly ask for your forg-"

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin leaped of Ah-Un and ran up to greet him. "Welcome back, my lord!"

"Hnn" the demon lord answered, without giving Jaken another glance.

"My lord, would you please tell me what you were doing in InuYasha's Forrest?" the girl asked cheerily.

Sesshomaru didn't answer right away. "I sense a danger in these surroundings. I wanted to see what it was, and if it was any threat, but I could not find what or were it was."  
>"Maybe it was a ghost, Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin said and put her hands on her cheeks in played fear. "What if it finds us here?"<p>

Sesshomaru didn't care to answer so Jaken saw it as his job to correct her.

"Girl, if it had been a ghost it would not have sent out such aura that would make lord Sesshomaru think there was a danger nearby. It must have been something else."

"Like… another demon?"

The imp shook his head sadly over Rin's ignorance. "Not particularly a demon, only a strong foe would make lord Sesshomaru worry."

"Then what about…" Rin thought, "… a priestess or a priest?"

"Hmm, you can be right Rin. But I doubt our great lord Sesshomaru would sense danger for a human, but it is a really good guess." Jaken was pleased over her answer and turned to his lord. "My lord what do you think? Awa-! My lord, were did you go?"

* * *

><p>A miko? Sesshomaru rushed through the forest. Yes, that had been a very good guess. He did recognize the smell, but he hadn't been able to place it until he had heard Rin's statement. But mikos were nearly extinct in the Feudal Era – Sesshomarus own father had seen to it. That could only mean his idiot brother with the bothersome girl were nearby.<br>Hi crackled his knuckles on his only hand. Yes – he would see so that his brother reunited with his mother. And the girl could just as well follow him.


	3. Chapter 2

**As I have said beofre, I don't own the InuYasha characters! They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, as it always will! **

* * *

><p>Kagome sniffled. Her knees had let go just a few meters from the well. Now she hadn't even got the strength to rise and go home.<p>

"I-idiot" she cursed herself and dried her eyes with her hands. 'That's it. He choose her over you because you are such a weakling!'

"Why w-would I c-care what that i-idiot does? It's not like I lo-love him or anything!" she wept. 'Then why do you think it hurts so much?'

Kagome gasped and clasped her arms around her knees, in an attempt to hide herself. Love him? No, he was just a friend. Her best friend in this world and her own. She was just mad that he kept lying to her, that's all.  
>Kagome rubbed her eyes and sobbed. No way that she could go home to her family and looking like a red eyed panda.<p>

"My, such a lovely, heartbroken creature. Who and what in the world could have made something so… delicate cry so heart wrenching?"

Startled by the unexpected voice she raised her head and blinked at the beautiful man before her. He had crystal blue eyes, long golden hair and a kind smile on his face.

"Go away, demon" she muttered and hides her face in her lap again. "I really d-don't feel like it."

The demons smile got wider and he bent down to eye level. "How did you know which my nature was?"

She sniffled and looked straight into the demons eyes. "Because you are too beautiful to be a human being, that's how. Will you please get out of my face?"

The demon laughed and offered her a hand. "My name is Hebi Otoko, and yours is…?"

"What do you want, Otoko?"

"Can't a man – demon – as me just have a chat with a beautiful maiden such as you?"

That made Kagome react. She looked up at the demon and sniffed. "I'm? Beautiful?"

Otoko grinned, revealing sharp fangs. "Not exactly my choice of word, but close enough. Now, were was I – ah, delicate. Yes, indeed."

With that he lunged for her, pinning her to the ground. Kagome stared into his beautiful face just to see it bubble as it transformed. A sky blue serpent's face stared down at her, it's pink tongue tasting her.

"Now, letsssss sssee – where sssshould I sssstart?" it lisped. "Maybe your long legssss", Otoko slide its tail over her shivering legs, "or maybe thissss thin ssstomach of yoursss?" His eyes were never leaving hers, making her want to sleep. Even if his words were terrifying, it didn't feel like it mattered. He would make her heart whole; take away every fear, every thought about InuYasha.  
>She felt her eyes close and the serpent lower his head over hers.<p>

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru felt the presence grow stronger as he rushed. He could smell the humans now which was not a very pleasing smell, humans had never been. Except Rin, but that was only because he made her bath every night.<p>

He sneezed, trying to get the annoying scents out of his nose. But then he came to a stop, taking a deep breath. It still smelled disgusting of humans, but there were a faintly different mixed with them.  
><em>Demon.<em>  
>But it was strange… it smelled too <em>pure<em> to be a demon. Then he could sense the iron smell of blood.

* * *

><p>Her mind felt like a caged little bird – flying to one corner of her head to the other. <em>Trapped.<em> She had understand that when Otokos fangs pierced her skin that they were poisonous. Or, not really poisonous – more like the venom made her numb and… _happy._

No more pain, no more memories – that's what he and the venom promised. She sighed and turned her head as his fangs once again stabbed her leg.

"Priessssstesss, are you feeling alright? No more tearsss, right? Only the sssweet feeling of numbnesss and sssoon – heaven. Yesss, miko, you are sssafe with-"

Suddenly she felt the heavy burden of demon leave her, and she tried to open her eyes. But she couldn't. It was as if her eyelids had been glued together.

"What isss thisss?" she heard Otoko say. "A dog demon? Wantsss a bite, eh? Or only here asss guard dog?"

'Dog demon? InuYasha?' Kagome thought confused. 'But he is with Kikyo and won't protect me anymore… right?'

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru stood face to face with the snake demon. He glanced behind him and could see InuYasha's wench lying on the ground, her legs completely soaked with blood.<p>

'That is where the pure scent comes from' he thought, sniffing deeply.

"A dog demon?" the serpent said, its blue eyes gleaming with interest. "Wantsss a bite, eh? Or only here asss guard dog?"

"Do not place me in the same position as a weak human" Sesshomaru said icily.

The serpent hissed and rose into its full length. "Cocky now, aren't we? But if ssshe isss not yoursss, get out of here. You don't want to fight the princcce of Hebi, Otoko. Ssshe isss my prey."

"She is mine as well", Sesshomaru said, taking a step forward. "I will be the one to take her away from this world."

The serpent cackled. "Take her away? Are you her knight in ssshining armor? Or a avenging demon with…" Otoko watched Sesshomaru sneakily, "a lack of an arm? Oh, thisss sssurely isss exccciting!"

Before the serpent realized, Sesshomaru had lunged for him, his right arms claws glowing with green. With a hiss Otoko threw himself away from the danger, turning rapid fast at the dog demon. He bared his fangs which were dripping with now poisonous venom.

"Ssse thessse, dog? My fangsss can make my prey either feel pain or pleasssure, deepending on how I think about them. Right now," Otoko hissed, "I think I will go for the 'Venom of Pain'."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay for talking non-stop! Well, anyway, second chapter already? When I posted this it was like two in the morning... night... yeah, something =w=<strong>  
><strong>Btw that, I am thinking about adding a little more guys in the next chapter - or guy. But still only a thought! <strong>  
><strong>Thanks kindly for the review I got last time, made me soooo happy \(^^)  
>(for those who didn't know, Hebi Otoko is a OC character I made up. His name means something like "Snake Man". Very creative, don't you think?)<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks for review the last time!**  
><strong>And, I do not own the InuYasha characters! Those are Rumiko Takahashi's, as it should be.<strong>

* * *

><p>Otoko charged at Sesshomaru, aiming at the dog demons stomach. But the serpent hadn't expected the dog to just stand there, waiting for the attack.<p>

The serpent bit deeply into Sesshomaru's stomach, making the great lord wince.

"Fool! Are you ssso ssstupid that you let me take a bite of you?" Otoko said as he pulled away, blood and venom dripping onto the ground.

Suddenly a slash across his back made him shriek. Sesshomaru had taken the chance while Otoko was near to attack him, and now it was clear for Otoko that he had been fooled. With rage he curled up in a thick heap of scales, his head the only thing moving.

"Did you not feel my poisonous claws at your back?" Sesshomaru asked, a muscle twitching in his face. "I am immune of your venom."

Every step Sesshomaru took now, the serpent went after him. Soon it seemed as if they were dancing; the dog demon jumped at the serpent while this demon was biting at his feet.

"It isss no ussse, ssstupid dog!" Otoko sneered, his eyes gleaming with evil joy. "I follow every ssstep you take and I will sssee when you take the wrong move and-"

He got cut short as his attention drifted to the human, who now where gasping in pain.

"Oh, how sssad. My 'Pleasssure Poissson'sss affect is sssubsssiding from her sssyssstem. Sssoon ssshe will be clawing at her own body, trying to get the pain away. The blood will flow out, painting the sssoft grasss and earth red and I will be there to-"

Before he realized it Otoko were lying on the ground, a poison-gleaming hand pressing at his lung pipe. He stared speechless into the golden eyes of the dog demon, which now had him pinned helplessly to the ground.

"Keep your attention at your foe" Sesshomaru said, with a displeased look on his face. "I do not like being taken lightly."

Before Otoko could get himself together, Sesshomaru ripped at the serpent's throat upward and across its face. With blood dripping down his back, face and throat, Otoko transformed back to his human disguise. Lying in a heap on the ground he turned to glance at Sesshomaru who were wiping the serpent's blood from his claws.

"This will cost you, Dog" Otoko wheezed. "Just you wait; I will kill you and take that wench from you."

Sesshomaru watched the snake demon disintegrate as he fled.  
>'Clearly the wise type, since he did not fight me in his state' he thought dryly. As he turned to leave he heard a painful cry behind him, and he cursed himself for forgetting what he had really come for.<p>

* * *

><p>Why? Where did this pain come from? Inside her, inside her! Take it out, it is inside her! Kagome felt as if millions of insects were eating her up – from the inside. It stung, it burned, it chilled, it was too intense to be only one feeling. How did this happen? Her happy dream, they had finally collected all the Shards and Naraku were defeated. It had come true. And she could be both here, in the Feudal Era, and at home, with mom, gramps and Sota.<p>

A dream? Or was this pain the dream, the nightmare? She had to get it out. If she did that the pain would go away and she could have happy memories, and dreams – forever.  
>Unconsciously she felt how she began to rub at her arm, then scratch and as the pain didn't subside she began to claw at herself. Kagome felt the skin give away and the feel of blood welling from underneath.<p>

'Take it out, take it out!' the girls whole being screamed at her. Or was that her own voice screaming? It didn't matter; she had to take out whatever was inside her, and fast – or she would go insane.

Suddenly she felt a strong hand strangling her, taking away her precious air from her lungs.  
>'No! Not anymore!'<br>She were clawing at everything now; the ground, her strangler, herself. Everything wanted to hurt her.  
>But then a miracle sent from heaven. The pain slowly poured of her, as rain when it landed at an umbrella. She felt herself let out a tired sigh, only to be reminded that her air was running out. Kagome then pushed all her remaining power to her eyes which felt so heavy that she would have needed a crane to open them. But suddenly all weight disappeared and she found herself staring into those beautiful golden eyes she loved so much.<p>

"You… came?" she barely whispered before the whole world came rushing down at her, taking all sound and light with them.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru gazed down at her sleeping face.<p>

'"You came?'" she had said.

Had she been expecting this Sesshomaru? She knew he would come here to kill her? Or did she think he were here to save her little human life?  
>Of course, that was not what he had in mind. But when he saw her clawing at herself and screaming, he had done something he never thought he would; he gave her, a human, some of his precious demon blood.<p>

'I did that so the ear-piercing sound would decrease,' he thought, an eyebrow twitching. 'Not because I pitied her.'

Once again he took hold of the girl's throat, thin as a swan's neck. A little pressure, a twist, and that little head of hers would roll of. This was something Sesshomaru had done many times, but at those times his victims had been conscious, staring at him with exposed terror.

Sesshomaru frowned. This felt too easy; the girl were not resisting, which were understandable since she was not awake, but also because his brother not where there for her. Nor were this girl's other companions; the monk, the slayer and the kitsune child. Why weren't they here for her? Sesshomaru had thought of this moment when he took InuYasha's other wench from him, which look his little brother would have.

'Pity I can't make him watch this' he thought and pressed harder at the girls throat.

"Sesshomaru!"

* * *

><p><strong>Well. This was kind of a pain to write. I had the idea of how to do though; the fighting scene, the thingy with only Kagome and Sesshomaru and then this "voice" at the end. But, between all that, I didn't know what to tell really. But then, last night (yeah, at 01.00, nighty-time) I got a kind of "aha"-situation and wrote until my fingers bled (*cough* not *cough*)<strong>  
><strong>Anyways, enjoy, and please do review! ^^<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Yay! Another chapter by moi! Hah, well, as you know I don't own any characters here (except Hebi Otoko and Hebi Hisu). InuYasha characters belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, as it always will.  
>Oh, before I forget: thanks for review last time ^^<strong>

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru lifted his gaze and saw a shape advancing quickly. Red blended with the same silver mane as the lords own hair. Soon a young hanyou stood before him, panting and glaring hatefully at him.<p>

"Little brother" the lord said. Now this might be enjoyable.

"You bastard, what are you doing her? I could smell your stench miles away!" InuYasha growled. "And it isn't just your stench; there's something else lurking around he- what the hell have you done!"

InuYasha stared with open horror at the girl; his gaze shifting to Sesshomaru's bloodied claws.

"You damned BASTARD!" he roared, leaping for Sesshomaru.

But he simply stepped out of the way, which made InuYasha come up spitting dirt.

"I have not hurt your _human_ little brother" he said coolly.

"Right, and I'm a thirty feet high demon with fifteen arms!" the hanyou growled, wiping his face from grass and mud. He stared wildly at his brother, at the girl, looking like a cornered wild animal.

"I did not expect you to notice, but do you not sense the serpents blood by my claws?"

"What shit are you now dra-" InuYasha started, but stopped as he took a sniff. "Oi, what the hell have happened here then? Why is Kagome hurt?"

"That," Sesshomaru said walking away from the clearing,"is what you can ask the human."

"Don't turn me your back, bastard! Come back here!"

* * *

><p>Damn that Sesshomaru! InuYasha growled low, as he sniffed his surroundings. Yes, it had definitely been something fishy around here, and when he thought about it, he hadn't really smelled that it were Kagome's blood on Sesshomaru. But that didn't justify that the bastard had tried to snap her head of her neck like if it was just a weed.<p>

InuYasha saw her lie on the ground, he saw that she was hurt; but he couldn't go to her. Not after what he had done.

That look she had given him in the forest had scared him. Nowadays not much scared him as much as seeing her face painted in pure hurt and terror, very much alike that of a little child. InuYasha had never seen that face before; not when he tried to kill her when they first meet, not when they met Sesshomaru the first time – hell, not even when Naraku tried to assassinate them!

That look had scared him of. How could he go to her now, where she lay hurt in both body and soul?

"… hurts!"

He winced at the unexpected cry and took an uncertain steep. Then froze. Was she really awake? Or where she dreaming something – about him?

"Don't go..!"

So it was about him then? Of course it was; he must have hurt her really badly since he didn't do as she had asked.

InuYasha stood there, rooted in the ground as his other friends came running.

"InuYasha! What happened to Kagome?" Sango cried, dashing by to get to Kagome.

"… I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You were here, weren't you?" Shippo asked furiously.

"No, I wasn't."

Miroku stood thoughtful by his comrade, examining InuYasha to head and toe.

"I see," Miroku said, looking a little closer at his face. "Except that I see you are worried, I also see that you must have done something fishy to have that look of delightment . It's all glitter and shiny all around you."

Sango shot an angry look at the men. "Could you please stop that? Can't you see Kagome is bleeding to death over here?"

Miroku rush to help her rip a cloth to stop the bleeding, while Shippo has run of to get Kaede. Only InuYasha stands still, not making an effort to help.  
>When Miroku turns to look at his friend, he discovers the hanyou to be gone.<p>

"InuYasha!" he shouted after him, only to be answered by a low whimper.

* * *

><p>Was he there? She was sure she had heard his name being shouted, but by whom? The voice sounded somehow muffled, as if spoken through a pillow. But it was male; definitely a male, that low rumble couldn't be anything else. But in this era, who know how other women sounded like?<p>

Was she still in her era? Or had she made it home before she collapsed?

"..ome."

Huh? What was that?

"…gome?"

Someone, speaking to her? She felt her eyelids flutter.

"Look, I think she's waking up!"

This was an enthusiastic voice, with high-pitched tones. A child? Was that Sota?

"Kagome, please wake up."

She knew this voice, but she was sure it wasn't from her real time. It sounded too… polite.

"What… have I missed?" Her voice sounded raspy.

"Kagome!" a chorus of voices greeted her and suddenly she felt herself being crushed into a lump.

"Ow, ow, ow! Sickling here, take it easy!" she laugh-coughed as she opened her eyes.

At first, she didn't see a thing. Everything was a ghostly white mass, with dots of black – as a paper with ink dripped at it. But then the white faded and the dots turned out to be three heads looking warily at her. Shippo, still hugging her throat tightly looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

"I thought you were going to die, Kagome!" he sniffed.

"Oh, you don't get rid of me that easily. That I can assure you." She smiled weakly at him.

"But still, lady Kagome, you had lost a great amount of blood. You were on the very surge of death when we found you." Miroku weighed her eyes with his, asking a question.

Kagome sighed.

"You want to know what happened, right?"

"Well, we do know why… you went home so suddenly," Sango said gently as she saw Kagome flinch, "but we don't know how you got those huge punctures all over your stomach."

'Punctures?' she thought confused, but then it all rushed over here as a tsunami of pictures; the beautiful man, the serpent, the pain and then the savior.

"What happened to you, Kagome?" Shippo asked, wiping his eyes.

"A demon attacked me. I wasn't ready for him, so he got to me."

"What kind of demon?" Sango asked, the knowledge of the different types of demons flashing through her eyes.

"Umm, a sort of snake-demon I think. At least he called himself Hebi Otoko, and he…"

"Hebi Otoko?" a granny-like lady said as she walked into the hut with newly-picked herbs.

"Yeah," Kagome nodded toward Kaede, "he said that was his name. What do you know about him?"

Old Kaede watched Kagome carefully as she put the herbs down. Her only eye were filled with worry as she scanned the girl. 'For what though?' Kagome thought ancious.

"Hebi Otoko," Kaede started, "is a snake demon indeed, but he is also the most powerful of his entire clan. Not very surprising since he's the son of Hebi Hisu, the giant snake demon. These snakes are famous for both their speed and their strange poison, with which the victim can feel absolute heaven or hell. That solely depends on how they think of their opponent."

As Kaede talked Kagome felt her whole body go stiff. So that was why she had felt as if she were on clouds. But…

"But what happens to the victim if this demon just bite her and then leave?" she asked.

"That I hope no one will ever suffer from." The old miko said. "If the tales are true, the victim will get addicted to this poison and if the small amount of this is left in her body, she will feel like all the fires of Hell are eating her up. That is, if not the poison is taken out, she gets more poison or she gets to feed from a demon's blood."

Miroku had sat quietly through the whole conversation, but know he lifted his head and looked deep into Kagome's brown eyes.

"Lady Kagome, is there anything at all that we need to know? It seems that you were bitten so with no doubt you were suffering under this hideous poison. Yet, you don't seem to be suffering at all. How can that be?"

Kagome stared dumbfounded at him for a minute. He was right, she should be crawling around the floor screaming for mercy right now. Then how..?  
>Then she remembered. Those eyes that were looking down at her before she passed out. Eyes made of pure gold.<p>

"I think," she started, "that InuYasha saved me somehow."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah I know. It was pretty difficult to figure out how to go on this time. 'Should I let Sesshomaru take her away, should I let Kouga come running, blah blah blah.' Well, at least I had a lot of ideas .<strong>  
><strong>Seems to me like every chapter gets longer and longer. This one has at least 100 more words than the last. But that is because I wanted to end it somehow good. Hmm, not the best this time, but please do read more ^^<strong>


	6. Chapter 5

Yay! FINALLY another chapter! I don't own the InuYasha characters. Those are Rumiko Takahashi's. It will ALWAYS be Rumiko Takahashi's.

* * *

><p>The others stared at her.<p>

"InuYasha couldn't have done that, Kagome," Sango said, her hand squeezing Kagome's. "He wasn't even nearby for the attack, and he said himself that he found you unconscious."

"Sango is right, child," Kaede confirmed. "Only a pureblooded demon can save someone from Hebi's poison."

'A pureblood?' Kagome thought confused. She was sure that she had seen InuYasha's eyes just before she passed out. But if that hadn't been InuYasha then who..?

"Could it have been just a random demon, lurking around?" she asked. "I mean, maybe it thought I would do better to it alive, or something."

Miroku scratched his cheek, shaking his head. "I don't think any demon would do that. What would a half-dead girl be for any use to it except food? And at that point, it's just troublesome if the prey is alive."

"Maybe," Shippo thought loudly," this snake-thingy gave his blood. 'Cause you're a powerful miko and all, so he may have thought you could become useful sometime."

'It wasn't Otoko,' she thought, a shiver running down her spine as memories blurred past her vision. 'And not a normal demon either it seems.' But those eyes…

"Hey, guys? Where's InuYasha anyway?"

The hut went silence. Four pairs of eyes avoided looking at her. Even little Kirara didn't look her way.  
>Suddenly it felt as if she couldn't breathe.<p>

"H-he isn't… hurt, is he?"

It was Miroku who first recovered, and shot her a strained smile. "No, of course he isn't. I'm sure he's somewhere nearby – sulking perhaps."

"Y-yeah, that's right – sulking," Sango said, her laugh sounding forced. "That's what he's best at, anyway."

Shippo looked at the two young adults in surprise. "I haven't seen him since we found Kagome, so how can you know wh-"

But before he could finish, two pair of hands had clasped around his mouth.

"Ahaha, what are you saying, Shippo? Of course we've seen him – he's just somewhere in the forest around her, that's all." Miroku said hurriedly.

"You're right, haha. Shippo, you're kind of forgetful aren't you?" Sango said flustered.

Kagome stared at her three friends: Shippo struggling to get free, his face turning slightly blue. Miroku's smiling face which somehow looked strained and forced. Sango whose eyes darted everywhere but in Kagome's direction.

"There's… something you aren't telling me. Right?"

The others flinched and the older of them released Shippo. The kitsune took deep breaths of air and slowly his face turned from strangled blue to angry red.

"Why did you do that for? I only wondered how you knew where he were!" he shouted at them.

"Sorry, sorry Shippo." Miroku said to the kitsune and plastered a smile on his face.

"Tell me, Miroku, Sango!" Kagome were shouting now. Her heart was racing in fear and confusion. "Where is InuYasha?"

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Sesshomaru-sama!"<p>

"Hello, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"…hnn."

After the encounter with the snake and the meeting with his worthless half-brother, Sesshomaru had wandered around in deep thought. Had it been worth it to offer his blood to that girl? What would have happened if not his brother had appeared?  
>So many why's and what's were spinning in his head, so in the end he had just wandered plane less. That was, until he appeared in Jaken's and Rin's provisory camp. He would have slapped himself for going back to soon, but that was under his dignity.<p>

"Did you have a safe walk, Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken was flustered, desperately trying to show his lord how worried he'd been.

"Hnn," was all the lord said with a displeased look in his eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I've dressed up Ah-Un very nicely!" Rin grinned and pointed toward the two-headed dragon, it's entire mane full with flowers. One of the dragon heads sneezed, making it's crown of flowers tilt. No words in the world could describe what the dog demon thought of that.

"We are leaving," he said to them, walking straight through the camp and into the forest. Rin dropped her eyes when her lord didn't seem to care about her masterpiece, but she grinned widely when Sesshomaru called on her. Jaken stood where he were for a moment, before getting flustered again.

* * *

><p>Not far from where Sesshomaru and his little 'pack' were, another demon stopped and sniffed the air. The pointy ears flinched at every branch that broke, at the sound of a waterfall far away, at the (ljud) of birds twittering. His eyes were closed and the tail whipped from one side to the other as he sorted the different smells out.<br>The smell of a human village nearby.  
>An appetizing rabbit rushing on the path before him.<br>The damp smell of rotting leaves and branches.  
>He frowned when the all too familiar smell of blood circled around him. <em>'Looks like I've just missed the party,'<em> he thought disappointed as he drew another deep sniff of air. Then he tensed, his body wanting to run toward the source, his mind trying to understand what it was he sensed.

'_I know this smell!'_ he thought and inhaled deeply as he opened his eyes. His ice blue irises darted from side to side, as he followed the smell toward the human village. Soon the demon had started running. Anyone who didn't know would have been shocked as to how he could create a whirlwind out of thin air.

"Kagome!" Kouga howled into the roaring wind around him.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru and his group had walked for merely ten minutes, when suddenly Rin's stomach rumbled. The lord's eyebrows rose, but he didn't comment her behavior.<p>

"Rin."

The girl smiled as she looked up at him.

"Yes, milord?"

Sesshomaru didn't say anything for a while, just observing how her face seemed to resemble that of InuYasha's wench. Not a very pleasing thought for this lord, but somehow it didn't displease him either.

"Have I not told you that you have to catch your own food?" he said and turned his head forward again.

Rin thought about that for a moment, but before she could answer him her lord had scooped the girl up and placed her on Ah-Un.

"Milord?" she cried as the dragon lifted into the air, with a yelping Jaken clinging to its tail.

Sesshomaru was left on the ground, listening and sniffing carefully before he turned to the darkest part of the surrounding woods.

"Show yourself," he commanded as a shadow released itself from the darkness.

* * *

><p>Oh My God! Now Kouga is caught in this mess O.O<br>Exactly how it's supposed to be, I guess... For this chapter I had a huge writersblock. So for at least three weeks I have walked around, come up with an idea and then realized "Hey, this doesn't work." So I'm very sorry about that .  
>Not only writersblock, but school have started again. Now I am in my second year in "gymnasiet" as we say in Sweden. Not sure what it is called elsewere, but it's after grade 9... so I'm in grade 11?<br>I'm babbling. Sorry about that.  
>I finally ended this chapter on the bus this morning, while working on another fanfic that I will upload... soon.<br>Thanks for review the last time! It's those who keep me going ^^


	7. Chapter 6

x_x This one took forever to post. Hereby I disclaim any rights to InuYasha characters. All of them belongs to Rumiko Takahashi (except my Otoko serpent o.o)

* * *

><p>The shadow soon stepped out into the clearing, the setting sun coloring him in warm gold and red. The pointy ears were relieved that this man was a demon, but with a black robe and headwear on it was hard to tell which race he belonged to. If it was a male or female made the confirmation even harder.<p>

"Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands?" the voice sounded muffled through the thick cloth around his mouth, his eyes glinting through the eyehole.

"Who is asking?" the lord asked coldly.

The unexpected trespasser bowed mockingly. "I'm the almighty lord Otoko's messenger. He wishes to ally himself with you, seeing that you are the first to survive my lord. My lord has gotten interest in you, and also, he wants to see for himself just how strong you really are."

Sesshomaru didn't even blink as he took hold of the messenger's throat and lifted him a good two inches from the ground. "Tell your 'lord' that his offer is declined."

The demon, who was now proved to be a she, chuckled restrained. "My lord said… that you were a… cocky bastard. Seems like… he was right. But then again," she said as she suddenly stared down at him over her nose," so am I."

Within the blink of an eye she swung her legs upward and over her head before she pushed herself away, with his shoulders as stepping stones. With an elegant backflip she landed a few meters away before glancing over her shoulder.

"I shall inform my master that you are not very cooperative, and that you are a threat to my highness. I will see you again."

Before Sesshomaru could hunt her down, and he sure was pretty damn fast, the demoness jumped off into the forest, only leaving a hint of where she had been a second ago.

* * *

><p>Kagome stared without seeing at her three friends.<p>

"He's… gone?"

She barely felt how a warm hand sneaked into her own.

"Yes… I'm sorry, Kagome", she heard Sango carefully say.

Sango sounded sad. That wasn't very like her. Well, alright, usually she was really depressed over her brother, but why would she be sad about InuYasha? She had, after all, been at his throat a few times already.

Kagome's brain registered how something dripped at their clasped hands. Numbly she raised her free hand and wiped it over her cheek. It came back, wet.

"He just… left us?" Her voice was a stranger's, absentminded and dull. "He – just like that?"

"Kagome…" Sango squished her friend's hand comforting, before standing up abruptly. When Kagome slowly averted her gaze from the nothing she had stared at, looking up in Sango's face, what she saw should have made the Grim Reaper proud.

Clenching her fists she shot a deadly glare at her demon-cat. "Kirara, we're moving out. We have a stray dog to catch."

Before any of the remaining could stop her she had stomped out of the hut, with a rage-fluffed* kitten falling in her steps.

"Well," Miroku started after a minute, "that was kind of confusing, to say the least."

Shippo glanced at the older man. "Why's that?"

Grinning, Miroku clasped a hand on Shippo's shoulder. "I'm glad you asked: you see, firstly it should be a certain someone that gorgeous demon slayer should be hunting, and secondly that little cute Kirara seems to be fully gifted to warm a household of seven, with that thick fur of hers. And thirdly," Miroku leaned down to Shippo's ear," this certain someone she should be out hunting would be _very_ joyful if she did so."

"Miroku," Kagome said softly before the young boy could ask anything more.

"Yes, dear Kagome?"

Staring into the dark deep of purple, she smiled. A smile that somehow would make Naraku jealous. "Could you please go and help Sango? I don't see why you have to fill a kid with perverted thoughts such as yours."

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru walked tense a good twelve feet before his little pack. He still couldn't shake off the anger of someone threatening his pack, which – in turn, threatened him. Though, on the surface he held a complete Sesshomaru-face – no feelings displaying whatsoever, turning him into the perfect pokerplayer.<p>

Rin were biting her under lip cautiously. Had she done anything wrong to displease him? All the way through and out of InuYasha's ghostly forrest, her lord hadn't said a word, not even to her.

Master Jaken however didn't read the atmosphere; he where still chirping about something about how unbelievably stupid some demons could be for opposing his lord Sesshomaru.

"I just can't believe how someone so small mattered as a lowly demon, a_ serpent_ by all means, would even dare to touch lord Sesshomaru-sama. Of course, since our lord is such an amazing lord who do not tremble in battle, it shouldn't come as a surprise now, should it?" he were muttering to no one in particular.

The girl glanced at him, her eyes narrowing confused. "Master Jaken?"

Irritated the imp drew a deep breath before answering. "What is it, child?"

"Umm…" Rin started, biting on her under lip as she searched for the right words. "I have been wondering for a long time now; who exactly are you talking to? It seems kind of weird, you know."

Dark red spots exploded on the imp's cheeks as he started to stutter, "W-weird? Child, how dare you say that my way of thinking aloud is weird? It's not only a good way of ventilating your thoughts; it's also a way to say what you're thinking deep inside!"

As the imp barked at the little girl, who slowly sunk more and more on the dragon's back, he suddenly crashed into something. Rubbing his bruised cheek he glanced up, only to find himself staring into the very eyes he were talking so proudly about.

"Please, forgive me, lord Sesshomaru-sama!" he gasped before throwing himself on his knees, bowing repeatedly. "I'm so sorry for touching my lord's leg without his permission, please forgive me!"

"Stop you japing, Jaken." The lord coldly replied to his servant's pleas. Without giving a second glance at the imp, he turned to Rin. "You are bleeding."

Rin's eyes grew twice their already huge size. "Huh? I didn't notice. I haven't cut myself on Ah-Un's scales at least," she said, carefully examining her hands.

Sesshomaru sighed softly. "Your lip is bleeding. It disturbs my nose."

"Oh." The girl touched her lips and looked down at a small puddle of blood in her hand. "I didn't even notice. Thank you, lord Sesshomaru." Rin grinned at him.

"Yeesh, girl, you're such a klutz!" Jaken, feeling left out, grunted. "Making problems for our lord is not very wise. I will see so that you can use your amazing scent in a short while, Lord Sesshomaru-sama."

The imp hurried over to the girl, reaching out to take a look at her mouth. But before he could touch the girl his lord had caught him by his collar.

"That will not be necessary. As long as Rin do not continue with her bad habit, there will be no further complications."

With that, the dog lord tossed Jaken aside and strode forward, leaving a giggling Rin and a depressed Jaken behind.

* * *

><p>x_x Hello folks. In a month or so I have had a huuuge writer's block. I couldn't even write in my own language, Swedish, and that is kind of bad. Especially when we're supposed to write a debate-article in Swedish class. Well, either way, I'm kind of confused on how I'm supposed to continue with this story... it feels to me like I don't bind them all together, so if I don't get it together with the next chapter I think I will end this .<p>

Either way, thanks for the kind comment last time ^^  
>Always fun to hear someone likes what I writes *blush*<p> 


	8. Chapter 7

__**Hello folks! Another chapter is finally up! First, an answer:**  
><strong>hinatauchiha82: Nah, I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about adding a loooot of guys into it so that Kagome have many yummy boys to choose from wO<strong>  
><strong>Everyone who has commented so far: thank you so much for your support (L)<strong>  
><strong>I do hereby disclaim any rights to the InuYasha characters (except the Otoko serpent). InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahachi.<strong>

* * *

><p>Kagome were just taking a sip from the soup Kaede had made for her when she suddenly felt the presence of the Shikon Jewel approaching. And fast.<p>

"Oh Kami, not now" she grunted, just as a gust of wind swept into the hut and she found herself cuddled into the chest of a youkai, the soup spreading a wet bloom on the wooden floor.

"My dearest Kagome! Are you hurt?" Kouga huffed, taking deep breaths of her scent. "I could smell your precious blood miles away and hurried to save you. Where's the dog shit? I bet this is his entire fault for getting you hurt."

"Umm, hello to you too Kouga" Kagome muttered, trying to catch her breath in his furry armor. "Would you mind letting me go?"

Kouga let go of her before shooting her a cocky grin, flashing his fang at her. "Actually I do mind. I wouldn't complain if you were in my lap more often."

His smile faded and his icily blue eyes traveled across her face, while he at the same time sniffed the air.

"Are ya alright? You smell of blood and…" *sniff, sniff* "is that a serpent's disgusting stench?"

She smiled weakly and shook her head. "Yeah, I had a little encounter with an angry demon outside of here, but thankfully InuYasha saved me. "

'I think', she added in her thoughts, her eyes trailing everywhere but at the wolf.

Kouga didn't notice though, how her eyes were avoiding his. "Eh, so the mutt face actually dared to let you get hurt? I should find him right now and show him exactly where he can put that sword."

Kagome sighed and started get to her feet so she could clean up the dust from Kougas whirlwind and soup, but before she could do anything a firm hand gently pushed her down.

"Don't you think you should lie down? Those wounds could reopen ya know?"

Confused she stared blankly into the wolf's eyes. "How do you know I'm hurt?"

"Man, Kagome. You're starting to sound almost as stupid as that InuTrasha" Kouga said while rolling his eyes at today's youngsters. "I have a nose, ya know? I can scent blood, I can smell demons and I can" *sniff* *sniff* "smell that you're wounded on your leg."

"You know? That sure is kind of… perverted in some ways," Kagome said while peeking at him from under her covers.

A blush crept onto the young chief's cheeks as he thought of 'some ways' he were what she said. But he quickly hid with a cunning grin and a wink.

"Sure I am, my dear. All for you."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Sango and Kirara were scanning the ground from above. All they saw were trees, trees, the Well, trees, clearing and trees. Nothing special up there and no sign of the sought prey.<p>

But the beautiful view did little to affect Sango who were completely fuming with anger. How dared InuYasha make Kagome cry like that! And not only that, it was his fault that the girl got hurt in the first place!

"Oh, when I find him I will be sure to make a new necklace out of his guts," she grunted, getting an approving growl from the now big Kirara.

The two tailed cat may not seem like a threat in her kitten-form, but as a full-fledged demon it was natural that her real form were a different matter.

Scanning the area for any signs of red Sango shouted, "Do you see anything?"

It took a minute and two, the echo repeating her call, before the monk yelled back, "Nothing down here at all."

"Damn it" she muttered, willing Kirara to go fly a little higher up. It was then, up there over the tree tops she saw the huge shadow dancing over the earth in the far distance as it advanced on them. Cautiously Sango drove Kirara toward the mass so that they could get a closer look at it.  
>It was moving alright, so it couldn't be some sort of cloud before sun, and it could definitely not be a forest flinching under the wind's breath since it wasn't blowing at all.<br>Sango narrowed her eyes. It was something about the way it moved that made her inside squirm with fright, and an old shiver finding its way down her back. But why, if it wasn't…?

"Miroku, where are you?"

"Right here, lady Sango," the monk answered from behind her, causing her to flinch. Somehow he had jumped up onto Kirara's back without the demon slayer noticing.  
>"What's the rush? Do we have a very annoyed half demon after us?" Smirking he glanced over his shoulder, slightly expecting it to be exactly that.<p>

"No. It's worse. A giant mass is approaching us, and from what I can tell it isn't very friendly."

"How come?" he questioned.

Sango shoot him a glare, which wasn't very threatening when they were filled with concern and terror. "Shut up, monk. I just know it."

The monk did as she required, but soon he couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Exactly _how_ do you know, if you please excuse me for asking?"

"Because," she said sternly and gripped Kirara's fur harder," it is a huge mass of snake demons."

* * *

><p>"Kouga!" she laughed and hit him on his upper arm.<p>

"What? That's how we do it at home." He said grumpily, his head in level with his shoulder.

Kagome grinned at the sight. 'So cute! He looks just like a…'

"Puppy!" she exclaimed and suddenly ruffled his hair as if he were her own kid brother. This only made her laugh harder when she saw the dirty look he shot her.  
>When Kouga had come into the hut they had talked a bit; on her part she wanted to know about his pack and on his journey for Naraku, he were busy explaining why this whole stuff were mutt-face's fault and that Kagome should hook up with someone who really cared about her.<br>Then Kouga had noticed the outspilled soup and had immediately said he would clean it up. When he attempted to lick the flour Kagome had crumpled on the floor as she tried to strangle her giggles.

"Oi, don't you dare put me in the same box as that InuThrasha." Kouga muttered sourly, tidying his bangs. His voice startled her back to reality and she glanced at his face quickly as he said InuYasha's "nickname". Did he notice how she flinched? "If you do," he continued, his voice becoming darker and more dangerous, "I will have to teach ya a lesson."

Without a warning he threw himself at her and started to tickle her. Kagome let out a little yelp at the surprise attack, but as his fingers started crawling up and down her stomach she suddenly made a 'pfft' sound before exploiding with laughter.

"No… kouga-ha-ha-ha! Stop it! STOP IT!" she screamed.

"Do you submit?" he growled, his eyes shining with amusement.

"NEVER!" she laughed as she wriggled under him.

"Submit!" he hissed and loomed over her to get better access to her more tickly parts. "Or I will make you scream from you tiny stomach aches for days."

"Um…"

The two of them froze and stared at the unexpected voice. There, in the doorway* stood InuYasha.

"Am I interrupting something here, wolfie?" he asked with a steaming fury in his golden eyes.

* * *

><p>Yay! Oh my God, I wrote the last thing on this chapter in like... half an hour! I'm so happy~<br>Either way, snakes. Yeah. I hate them. Sure, they are very elegant when they slide around on the tv-screen. In real life? More scary than elegant. And around here it isn't very common to see snakes everyday, so when I do, I freak out. Just so you know.

Thanks for review last time, and please do review on this one too! ^^


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello people. This chapter was kind of easier than the last few ones. Anyways, enjoy!**

**I hereby disclaim any rights to the InuYasha characters (except my demon, Otoko Hebi!). InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

><p>"Yes you are." Kouga growled, where he kneeled just centimeters over Kagome. The very sight of the pesky wolf made InuYasha's insides crumble with anger. And that Kagome had been laughing like a little kid with this bastard only made matters worse. Which, he realized, were pretty hypocritical of him since he didn't care what Kagome did or with whom.<p>

"Good," InuYasha muttered before shooting a careful glare in Kagome's direction.

She was _fuming_, even though her eyes had taken a sad gloom that he had never seen before.

"What do you want, InuYasha?" she asked sternly while pushing Kouga away before sitting up. "Why are you here? And where have you been until now?"

"Do I need to want anything? Do I _need_ some kind off permission for going home? What are you, my _mom_?" he hissed at her.

"Oi, doggie, don't ya talk to 'er like that!" the other man growled, suddenly standing inches from InuYasha. His blue eyes that had been glinting with laughter only a minute ago now had turned an icy cold of rage.

"Don't you dare," InuYasha poked the demon in his ribs, "tell me what I can and cannot do."

"InuYasha, please," Kagome said tiredly and slumped back on her futon, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Could you just go away? Please."

InuYasha seemed ready to start barking at everything and everyone at that point, but suddenly closed his mouth and smiled sadly.

"Of course, you're tired. Please, excuse me," he said with a little bow as he left the hut.

Kouga and Kagome stared at the spot where the hanyou had been just a moment ago. Then they stared at each other in confusion.

"Who the hell was that and what had he done with InuTrasha?" Kouga asked, his blue eyes big with fake horror, a flicker of a smile playing on his mouth.

But the true horror he saw in Kagome's eyes froze his smile in place.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure that that wasn't him."

* * *

><p>Not long after the strange encounter with InuYasha, Sango and Miroku came rushing into the hut. Kouga, who had been resting against the wall close to the door* jumped straight up, prepared for Naraku to be standing there.<p>

"What? Who? Where?" he shouted as he tried to fight the nausea caused by lifting his head to fast.

"Calm down, my friend. It's only us," Miroku said calmly as he patted the wolf demon's shoulder. "No need to be so up stringed."

Kagome closely observed the newcomers; Miroku sure seemed as usual, just a little bit stiff which were unusual for him. Sango, on the other hand, were very pale and as the older girl grabbed Kagome's hand the younger noticed how sweaty it was.

"Um, guys? What's going on?"

"An excellent question, my dear Kagome," the monk said as he approached them. "And an excellent question needs an excellent answer which in this case is-"

"We really have to get out of here, right now!" Sango interrupted, tugging on Kagome to stand up.

Kagome, however, had been in bed for Kami-knows-how-long and could hardly move her body at all. Her leg nonetheless, which were wrapped tightly with a white cloth to stop more lifeblood from flowing out of her. Right now, she felt as if she were Bambi on ice.

As her leg gave out under her, she yelped while waving her arms to get her balance back. Suddenly an arm snaked its way around her waist and helped her regain her composure.

"Easy now, Kagome, or I might get my hopes up that you have begun to fall for me," Kouga said as he flashed a grin down at her.

She blushed where she found herself cradled up against him. "That line is getting kind of old, don't you think?" she said meekly, as she tried to hush her rushing heart.

"Oh? Then how about-"

"Guys! Stop your flirting and start moving your damn asses!"

Everyone present looked at the panicking demon slayer in surprise. Kagome wondered quietly when she had ever seen her friend that frightened before.

"Alright, beautiful slayer. Which way do you want my rump?" Miroku asked, with an obvious mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Just shut UP! We need to get out of this village, remember that - monk?" the slayer barked. "This village is about to be overflowed with those disgusting snake demons, and here you are chatting and flirting away our time?"

"Demons?" Kagome gasped as she let go off Kouga, much to the wolf demons displeasure.

"Yeah, demons. So get up, shut up and move it!"

* * *

><p>InuYasha had escaped into his forest and sat now up in a tree, sulking as the memories of the wolf hurled over Kagome hunted his vision. She had been laughing so happily with him, to a point where InuYasha couldn't help but feel the jealousy well up in him. Why did he feel that way? He had decided that he wanted to be with Kikyou, then why did he care when Kagome where happy with somebody else?<p>

He shook his head as he tried to rid his mind off such thoughts. InuYasha knew that he couldn't have them both.

He should be happy for her. Especially since it was Kouga that made her happy. He frowned as he thought about the cocky wolf demon. Sure, the wolf was annoying as hell, but he loved Kagome – that was all that mattered, that she was happy.

"Here, doggie-doggie-doggie…"

The hanyou's ears perked. Who was it that dared call him a dog? 'Well,' he thought with a frown, ' I'm a half dog demon, but that isn't the point.'

"I know you're in here sssomewhere, little lapdog. I can sssmell your ssstench that wasss on my massstersss clothesss…"

InuYasha peeked over the branch he were currently sitting on and spotted a sleek figure passing beneath him. Up here he couldn't catch any scent from down there, so he couldn't figure out what kind of creature it was. But whatever it was, the very voice of it made the hanyou's skin crawl with disgust.

"If you don't ssshow yourssself, I may asss well find that miko my massster found ssso absssolutely dassshing and… what wasss the word? Ah, yesss – delicate."

A cold shiver went down his spine as he listened. Miko? Delicate? Was it this bastard's master that had..?

* * *

><p><strong>Yep. Another chapter uploaded, mission completed. I had this idea earlier if I should make InuYasha act kind of weird and... well, different from his usual self. He would be like that because these snake demon's had done something to him. <strong>  
><strong>But now that I read it over I thought this was somehow better... hmm, yeah.<strong>

**Loooots of school work over here, so it may take longer and longer between the chapters, but I promise on my pride as an manga/anime geek that I will return from the depth's of hell called 'school'.**

**Oh! Maybe you noticed! I had put an * at the word door. Is it really a door, or is the opening to Kaede's hut called something else?**  
><strong>Please review and THANK YOU for the review the last time! Glad you like how Kouga turned out ^^<strong>


	10. Chapter 9

**Guys? Guess what? Seems like I've passed the 10'000 words-line! Am I good or what? And just in time for my birthday the 17 to.  
>Actually, I never thought I could bring myself to do this, but here I am! Thanks for reading with me so far \(^w^)**  
><strong>I don't own any InuYasha characters (except my snake Otoko!). Those are all Rumiko Takahashis. <strong>

* * *

><p>Just as InuYasha was about to jump down at the disgusting creature, it turned toward the village as if listening to something. The hanyou tensed and slid back into the safety of the huge trees leafs. He peaked down and saw how it crawled out into a spot of light and there he saw it: a leaf-green colored snake demon. 'That was why I couldn't make it out until it came out into the direct sunlight,' he thought.<br>The snakes pink tongue flipped out as it tasted the air.

"Thossse foolsss! I told them not to attack until we had found the nasssty bonehead!" it hissed before the corners of its mouth turned up, mimicking a ghastly smile. "Either way, it can be a good opportunity to ssseizzze that miko for massster…" the snake chuckled before it slinked away into the surrounding greenness.

InuYasha stood there petrified for a moment before the words sank in. _'Miko, the bonehead, master, attack' _all the words the snake had said whirled around in his head. But all of them melted together into one conclusion…

"Kagome!"

* * *

><p>Kagome blinked away tears caused by the wind as she was swishing through the air with a pair of strong arms protectively around her. While InuYasha used to hold her on his back, she thought with a pang in her heart, Kouga held her bridal style. Not that she minded really, but it felt a bit under her dignity to have passerby's staring at her butt.<p>

"Are you sure the villagers have all gotten out?" she asked for the millionth time.

"Yes, we took care of that while you two were all lovey-dovey in lady Kaedes hut," Sango snorted for the millionth-one time.

Kouga glanced at his burden before he turned his attention back to the track he where running on. "Don't worry, Kagome, "he said with a smirk, "we can always return to that later."

She ignored him and glanced over at Miroku on Kirara. "Do you think InuYasha knows?"

"Well," the monk started, "if he hasn't already heard the snakes roaming through the village, I suppose he should have smelled them by now. Especially since we got quite a lot of opportunities to slay a few of them, so the demon blood should make him react one way or another.

"That dog-turd should be either way, Kagome. He may be a damned hanyou, but he still has demon blood in him," Kouga said while grunting his dislike for the other male. "He should be able to smell that much at least. Or not, since he himself smells so bad he probably doesn't notice."

"Kouga…"

"What? He's a damn dog hanyou – of course he smells," he said before shooting a stunning grin at her. "As you may have noticed, I don't. I always rush through forests and baths in our waterfall so I'm always fresh for you."

Now when he mentioned it, she could smell the faint sniff of leaves and pine on him. Which were inevitable since her face was pretty much pressed against his muscular chest. 'Wait, since when has Kouga been muscular?'

She felt a blush come creeping upward her throat and burning her cheeks as she noticed how those muscles tightened and stretched under and around her as he ran. Kagome clutched her face in her hands and leaned into Kouga's shoulder so that he wouldn't notice her heart racing with his speed.

Soon, however, they stopped and the wolf demon let Kagome down on her own two legs.

"Kagome, are you alright? Maybe you should lie down for a bit, it looks like you have a fever?" Shippo, who had been clutching onto Kagome's arm and not letting go of her mama, asked with worry written all over his face.

"No… I'm all right," she smiled weakly. All the while hiding her flustered face in her bangs and staring down at her feet. 'I know he is good looking and all; with those electric blue eyes and tanned skin and his dark, thick demon-hair, no woman should be able to resist him for too long.'

"What cha' thinking about?"

"…demon hair."

"Huh?" one pair of twinkling blue eyes asked, now staring through her bangs, right into her own orbs.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all! Just wondering how… how… how the heck Sesshomaru gets his fluffy thing to stay on his shoulder!" she practically shouted into his face.

"NOW I'm hurt; are you thinking about other men besides me?" Kouga said, hand to his heart.

"… right. Either way," Kagome said once she got her normal speaking back and trying to quickly change the subject "does anyone have a bow?" 'Seriously,' she thought quietly and mentally slapped herself, 'I couldn't come up with anything other than Sesshomaru? Where did that come from?'

"Yes, but do you really think you need it here?" Sango waved around them, motioning to the surrounding forest and the chirping of birds. "I don't think we need it just quite yet."

"You never know," Kagome extended her hand, and wiggled her fingers. "Now, do you have a bow or not?"

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><p><em>IT watched the group of humans and demons as they sat down in the clearing. The older of the girls yelped and cursed as the monk had done something to her behind. IT couldn't understand clearly what, but by the way the girl now were hitting and screaming at him it couldn't have been something too enjoyable. But what confused IT was the silly smile the monk had on his face, all the while being punched and smacked.<em>

_IT turned it's gaze to the demon – the wolf. He were laughing happily at the quarreling couple, but IT noticed the way his eyes always slide to rest at the other girl which were holding a kitsune child in her arms.  
>IT narrowed its eyes as it stared at the girl. Her dark midnight colored hair was flowing down her back and her face were lit up and laughing whit the wolf demon, but her eyes never seemed to warm up. As if something had blown out whatever had been in them before. It was only when she looked at either of the demons that something in them lightened.<br>However, that was not what IT was concentrating on. No, IT was fully occupied with admiring her aura; thousands of colors mixed together, blending beautifully in with each other. _

"Ah-Un," _ITs owner's ward said, as she happily started decorating ITs mane once again with flowers. _"Sesshomaru-sama will soon be back, so why don't we dress up nicely for him?" _ITs ears perked as IT heard ITs owner's name. The girl laughed happily and hugged one of ITs heads. _"I love him too, as much as I love you."

_IT huffed in approval and pressed ITs other head against her spine, until the girl released its head and grinned._

"We have to find Jaken-sama. Are you coming?"

_IT let itself be led away from its spot by its beloved owner's ward._

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><p><strong>Naaaw... cute little Ah-Un got to be in it to, and he's surprisingly a really awesome thinker. Who knew?<br>When I walked through this chapter and had only 150 words left to pass 1000 I wondered what to do. To write on 150 words more about Kagome felt... well, boring, to say the least. Not a good sign, I know. Then I thought, 'Maybe InuYasha would fit here..? Neeh...'  
>And then I thought of Sesshomaru a.k.a Lord of Fluff. It was at that moment I remembered one of my non-fanfiction novels called "Så Som Smaragder" in Swedish. I guess it's something like "As Emeralds" in English... either way, I'm changing topic here. In As Emeralds I wrote about a creature called "It" or "DenDet" in Swedish, and I thought maybe I could use that, and, ya' know, maybe let it be one of these snake demons. But it felt so much cuter with Ah-Un and... that means Fluffy isn't that far behind *wink***

**Thank you for reading this far, and please do rewiev ^^ **


	11. Chapter 10

_Whoa! It actually only took 3 days to finish this one! Maybe because I don't have that many other things I care to do ._  
><em>Either way, Enjoy!<em>

_I Don't Own InuYasha. Those are Rumiko Takahashis._  
><em>Except Hebi Otoko, Aoi Kirei and Ha Jinsoku - those are mine ò.ó<em>

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><p>While Kagome and Kouga were laughing at the trembling figure once known as Miroku, InuYasha were having a hard time. Once he had reached the village he had been attacked by disgusting reptiles – it wasn't only snakes, but also lizard demons, tortoise demons. It seemed as if every reptile known in the world had come together in a single bloody feast.<p>

"Get off of me!" he cried and slashed at the huge lizard demon which were currently clawing and climbing at his back. He really didn't have time to play with these things! He had to find Kagome!

He got a good grip around its throat and threw it into a nearby tree, but immediately another took its fallen comrade's place. With a huff InuYasha got brought down to the ground, finding his mouth filled with dirt and grass.

"You… bastard!" he muttered, spitting earth and grass at his other foes in the process. A scale-covered tail was brought to his eye level and swaying back and forth, as if letting him admire its glinting skin, before it came down slashing across his face.

"You will not call my beautiful children sssuch vile wordsss!" a hollow voice rang before the tail sliced at him again, this time drawing blood.

InuYasha glared up at the giant lizard that stood before him. It was a huge female lizard demon, in the form of a skink. The slanted eyes made the lizard look sleepy, but if you looked long enough you could tell that it was far from being lazy. Suddenly it's tongue shoot out and licked the corners of its mouth. InuYasha stared for a moment before he burst out in a muffled laugh.

"What'sss ssso funny, whelp?" she hissed. She leaned down until she was only a few inches from his face.

"What's with your tongue? Looks to me like ya' have swallowed a lot of ink, or did something happen at your birth, witch?" he snarled, still smirking as he watched her flick out the tongue once again.

She slashed at him once more, this time she struck him as well as the lizard on his back off. The both of them flew a good five yards before they struck the ground. The lizard whelped as it thudded into the ground, and then turned non-blinking eyes to stare at his mother. She made a soft hiss down her throat and her child snaked out of the area.

"What? Child abuse, wench? Now, that's not something a mother should do," he grunted as he thrust himself first on his knees and then, drawing Tetsusaiga, on his own feet.

"Don't you dare," she said, advancing a few steps at each word," to tell me how to treat my children, _half-breed_."

He growled, a quiet purr at first, but then it only rose in volume until he was almost roaring. "Then I will show you how to treat their mother!"

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><p>Kagome shivered. It felt as if something terrible were taking its place somewhere, maybe some of the villagers hadn't reached safety yet. However, it could just be because her fever had returned after the escape and the fact that her weird wounds on her stomach had reopened.<p>

She leaned back onto the stump of the once-so-grand-oak tree and dipped her head back until it rested on the rough surface. Kagome stared up at the everlasting blue sky and watched a few cotton clouds lazily float by. So peaceful everything were in this era! No honking cars, no shouts from children, just… chirping of birds and the wind gently stroking the leaves. She could get used to this; living here with Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kirara and…

A throb in her heart made her train of thought stop dead. 'No,' she scolded herself, while muffling a sob, 'don't think of him. He doesn't think of you, so don't think of _him._'

"Are ya okay Kagome?"

She turned and found a very eager wolf demon staring into her eyes, only a few inches away from her face. Kagome gasped and sat up, but found that to be a bad idea as nausea hit her with full force, making her see all the stars that weren't there on the day.

"Easy there, Kagome," he said, gently pushing her back down on the ground, "don't want those wounds to open up again now, do we?"

"…right, sorry," she mumbled, desperately trying to hide her blush. How long had he watched her?

Kouga placed a cool hand across her forehead and frowned. "Damn girl, you're burning up. Your whole face is flushed! It's as if," he gazed into her now wide open eyes and smirked, "you're finally starting to notice me, huh?"

What? Notice him? She could only stare at him in disbelief. 'Am I starting to look at him differently?' Kagome thought about how he had cheered her up only this morning, how he had made her laugh when she was sad. How she had been mesmerized by his beautiful skin, his gorgeous eyes and strong muscles. 'Oh my God,' she thought, and without noticing brought a hand to her racing heart while gazing back up at Kouga, 'I think I am.'

* * *

><p>The half dog demon cried out in agony and pain as the skink pierced him with one of its giant claws. The demon lifted him, still on the claw, high up in the air and tasted the air around him.<p>

"In pain, half-breed?" she chuckled. "I can sssmell it from you; the pain, the dissstresss and your lifeblood ssslowly pouring out of you."

She lifted him higher, causing him to cry once again, before she tossed him aside. He hit the ground head first and made a huge crater, very alike one of those caused by the "sit" compulsion. InuYasha groaned as he pulled himself up from it, just in time to see her taste his blood.

"Hmm," she mumbled, licking her claw before spitting. "jussst asss I thought; sssuch a disssgusssting tassste."

"You know what's disgusting? That you're actually licking your feet! Ever thought of that?" He could feel his vision getting blurred and his heart started to race. 'Shit, not now…'

"Now, what should I do with you then, puppy?" she purred as if she hadn't heard a word, getting down on all fours as she crawled toward him. He felt his sword pulsating through his arm and for a brief moment feared the worst.

"Aoi Kirei, we are not here for him."

The two of them turned toward the new interferer, InuYasha with some trouble as he tried to suppress his beast. There, by one of the burning huts, stood the same green demon that InuYasha had overheard earlier.

"Hmph. If it isssn't the little lapdog, Ha Jinsssoku. Why have you left masters kneesss bare?" Aoi sneered, turning her whole body so that she was blocking InuYashas view. "I'm jussst having a good time, together with _my _and _massstersss_ children, ssso why can't we both find the girl and have sssome fun?"

InuYasha shuddered when a shiver coursed through his body, before he felt his knuckles crackle and his muscles expanding. 'Not now, not now…'

"Where are the girl, wench? It isss only her we are after."

"_We_, meaning me and my children, are sssearching. Well, we maybe aren't in that big of an hurry, but thessse pathetic humansss are ssso ssslow to hide, you sssee. We are jussst making every demon a favor by killing thessse peasssantsss off." She laughed, a cackling sound that stopped abruptly as a hand cut her head clean off her body.

"Now thisss isss interesssting," Ha Jinsoku said, staring with wide eyes at the now full-fledged demon InuYasha.

* * *

><p>Hello guys! A freshly new 17 year old speaking! Well... I don't feel like it...<p>

Either way, FINALLY some more fluff about Kouga and Kagome. I have LONGED for her to notice something, but don't worry - I'm gonna make her (and hopefully you along) confused and mix more feelings for other persons into this thingy, so non-Kouga fans Keep It Up!

And, yeah - welcome to InuYashas other self! Should be kinda interesting to write about him like that since his normal self is kind off... bratty?

ALSO, Welcome to two new characters, Aoi Kirei the female blue tongued skink and Ha Jinsoku, the green lizard-thing-demon that I didn't find any real inspiration for. How it will work out for him now when he's eye to eye with a blood thirsty InuYasha... well, keep following and you may find out ^^

Thank you for your kind reviews last time! It's those that keep me going!


	12. Chapter 11

**O.O I'm surprised and kind of happy right now. Sure, still a ton of homework, but a chapter in a matter of days? And the same _week_ nonetheless? That's kind of awesome... if from me.**

**First, I will disclaim any right's to the InuYasha series. All credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi, whose brilliant fantasy amazes and enjoys all.**  
><strong>Secondly, my own characters in this fanfic are called Ha Jinsoku, which I have forgotten what it means... something about fast? Anyway, Aoi Kirei, also forgotten meaning (beautiful? cute? something like that) and Hebi Otoko. Those are mine *growls possessively*<br>Thirdly, I have only recently noticed I haven't changed between night, day or even if it has been weeks! Really sorry about that, I'm trying to make up for it in this chapter (.) **

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><p>"Midget," the half demon once known as InuYasha hissed, "do you also dare to stand in my way?"<p>

His eyes had lost its earlier beautiful gold – instead they were now filled with the terrifying blood red, with magenta stripes across his cheeks. He smirked as he saw his opponent only staring at him in disbelief.

"Aren't you a half-demon?" the snake asked, tilting its head ever so slightly. "I could have sssworn you had that ssstench of human around you."

InuYasha smirked. That was the only warning he gave before charging. He smiled wider as he crackled his knuckles, extended his hand and…

Missed. He growled out in disappointment and confusion as the warm blood from his foe not was covering his hands; when he didn't feel the pleasure of ripping its head clean off. He turned his head wildly, desperately trying to find the worm when he spotted a human child staring at him.

The little girl was trembling from the sight of him, her eyes wide with terror and filled with tears and fright. She was lying on her back, elbows propped up under her, crawling like a crab away from him.

He saw her fear, and enjoyed it as a painting. He heard her quiet sobs, and enjoyed it as the most beautiful music. So he tilted his head, smiled and thought of her blood – beautiful blood flowing through his fingers, her life in his hands as he-

'No!'

He tensed at his own voice rumbling through him. He had _finally _gotten the control back from his human self – he wasn't letting it take over again.

'I won't let you, bastard!' it shouted and a sudden pain went savage in his chest, almost as if his human soul was trying to _claw _its way out. He cried out, hands trying to cover an invisible wound before he slumped forward head first. There he curled into a tight ball, a quiet shriek dying on his lips.

Not far from there Ha Jinsoku sat crouched up on a tree branch, watching the whole scene unfold before me. In his human form he had short brown hair and leaf green eyes; his figure was lean but strong.

"Interesting, indeed," he muttered as he swung down on the ground, creeping warily toward the demon. 'Or whatever he is.'

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><p>The day turned to night, something Kagome thought never would come. The whole day had gone past in a blur – well, most of it was a blur since they had been running half of it. It felt as if it was only a few hours ago since she were attacked by that snake, when it in fact were almost two days ago. Maybe it wasn't that weird since she had been unconscious after the remaining poison in her system had left her trembling in her sleep.<p>

She yawned, stretched her whole body before curling up in her sleeping bag together with the small kit close to her, who already were sound asleep. Peering through her lashes she watched her other companions slumbering: Sango with Kirara purring on the tajiyas stomach, Miroku not far from them pretending to be asleep as he inched toward the two sleepers. An audible smack rang loudly in the night before she saw the houshi settling down where he began his adventure toward Kagome's friend. A silly smile and a red handprint on his cheek made the story clear of what had happened.

Then she glanced at Kouga. He hadn't left them as he usually does – in fact, he said he would stay and protect them until the mutt, InuYasha, returned. Now the wolf youkai were sitting lazily propped up against a large tree, his eyes closed and his chest rising and sinking evenly. Well, the hanyou hadn't come back yet, but no one was really alarmed. The group was used to InuYasha disappearing at strange occasions, such as sensing a youkai nearby or seeing Kikyou's soul-stealers.

Kagome winced and hid her head under the covers. So much for trying to forget. Thousands of memories washed through her: InuYasha pinned to the sacred tree, InuYasha saying her name for the first time, InuYasha always saving her. 'InuYasha, InuYasha…'

She took a huge breath before crawling out of the bag, slowly so that the kitsune kit wouldn't wake up. When she was fully free from the warm sleeping bag she shot glances at her companions before tiptoeing out of the camp.

The half full moon eyed her as she let the cool night air clean her body mind of her depressing thoughts. Drawing deep breaths she finally raised her gaze and watched the stars wink at her as if saying _"Look at us! We have no problems, we just _are_! We are meant to be here, to make you people watch us and sigh in jealousy over our beauty!"_

Yes, they are meant to be… which she wasn't. Her tears had started to form and fall down her cheeks without her realizing. But she didn't notice, and if she did, she didn't care. This wasn't even her era! How could she belong here, if she wasn't even born here? How was anyone supposed to care about her, if it wasn't meant for them to ever meet her?

"How sad…"

Her head snapped at the words, she peered into the forest dark shadows. She could barely make out the shape of a human – or demon, in there.

"Who – who's there?" she asked, quickly brushing her cheeks dry. What was it with her, crying for him?

"Forgive me for my rudeness…" the voice's owner drawled before it stepped out into the moonlight.

Kagome gaped at the stranger's beauty, even though it was a male. Her eyes trailed over his long legs, to his broad chest, before she met his steady green eyes. Then her eyes made their way back down his lean figure, and up again. This time though, the stranger had a light smile playing on his thin lips.

"Do you like what you are seeing?" he asked politely, though his eyes were practically laughing out their amusement at her.

"Yes…" she said dreamily, before his words registered in her brain and she snapped her head up, while her cheeks started burning. "I mean no – I mean, you look good, and I mean _really_ good, b-but that's not it! Who are you?" she asked flustered, desperately trying to remain Kagome and not become a talking tomato in front of this green-eyed God.

He smiled a little wider before bowing his head in acknowledgement at her. "My name is Ha Jinsoku, and I am sorry to say I am here to get you."

"To what?" she inquired just as the man disappeared out of sight. 'Demon!' her whole being were screaming. 'Find the others, find Kouga! Find InuYasha!'

She whirled around and bolted toward her camp, all the while cursing herself for being so stupid as to forget her bow and arrows. With only the moon as guide, it was only a matter of time before she hit her toe and was sent flying head first into a heap. Lucky for her elbows and knees this heap was something soft, but as she tried to rose she found a pair of hands holding her in place. Staring up, her blue orbs met Ha Jinsoku's cool green. They were not laughing anymore, which never were a good sign.

"I'm sorry about this…" he whispered, before all sounds disappeared and she slumped into his body. 'What's happening! I can't move!'

"This, beautiful, is a strong herb my master prepared for me to use. It will only paralyze you, since I don't want to hurt your pretty little head." He said, gently brushing her bangs away from her face, before lifting her bridal-style. "Now, I will take you with me."


	13. Chapter 12

Hello folks! Another chapter is up, and just in time for my "one per week" uploading. I think, at least...

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha (except my made up characters Aoi Kirei, Ha Jinsoku, Hebi Otoko and Hebi Hisu). If I did, I wouldn't have to go to school. InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

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><p>He felt like a caged animal, spacing back and forth in the tiny area that was his prison. From time to time he would jump and hit at the sturdy iron bars. But, without any bigger surprise, these reptiles knew their handiwork. That didn't stop him from trying to get out.<p>

"You bastards, are you so scared of me that you're planning to kill me in here?" he screamed. Gritting his teeth InuYasha tock a good grip around two of the bars and tried to bulge them. He used all his hanyou strength, and had it been normal bars they would have bended a long time ago. These didn't even rattle in their attachments. "Get down here and fight with me! I know you can hear me!"

He gave the bars another hard push before turning his back to it and sliding down, his back resting against the damn things. When his beast had taken the control from him and had attempted to kill the little girl, InuYasha had done whatever he could to take back his body. He wasn't really sure what; just that he had imagined himself attacking his demon side with all he had. Apparently it had worked and he had exhausted himself to the point of unconsciousness, or that green snake had done something to him in that state. Then he had woken up in this gloomy place; pale moonlight shining through the ridiculously small window, showing him the rough stone walls on two sides. Nothing except an old chain collar in the corner and himself filled the tiny space.

A door opening somewhere close made his ears perk and he turned slightly so that he could glance at the intruder. Soft footsteps came closer and closer before the door to his cell opened. InuYasha tensed, instinctively reaching for his Tetsusaiga before remembering it was gone. 'Damn bastards' he swore silently.

"Good evening, InuYasha. How are you feeling for the moment? No thoughts of turning back into that beast, are you?"

"Ha Jinsoku," the hanyou growled, still not turning to glare at the snake.

"Oh? You remember my name? I'm flattered. But as you can see, I cannot shake your hand. My hands are quite full for the moment."

InuYasha had yet to turn around, but as a small gust of wind tickled his nose's inside he flinched, jumping straight up and slamming into the iron bars in the process. Now he was staring at the snake who walked by the name of Ha Jinsoku, and in the demon's arms where Kagome.

"You BASTARD! Leave her out of this!" He hit with all his force against the bars, knowing fully well it was no use.

"Hush, InuYasha. You're making such a ruckus," Ha Jinsoku scolded lightly, shifting his burden. The girl's body were limp, only the demons arms and hands holding her under her back and under her knees. The hanyou only snarled in response before throwing against the bars again.

"I ought to tell you that those bars are youkai drawing? It takes the demon's, or in your case, the hanyou's strength and makes it its own. Clever, isn't it?" Ha Jinsoku smiled. "Of course, it only works on the demon _inside_ the cell, not out here."

"Figures," InuYasha muttered, panting slightly. "What do you want?"

Ha Jinsoku walked to one of the fair walls with the miko still in his arms before gently laying her on the cold ground. "Me? No, I don't want anything with you lot. This is merely my masters orders." InuYasha watched in disgust as the snake demon took one of Kagome's raven tress and take a deep breath of her scent. "However, I'm not too displeased with this rare capture though."

"Don't touch her."

Ha Jinsoku only smiled. It was such a smile that left a sad expression on those who saw it, but InuYasha were too busy snarling and cursing to pay any higher concern about it.

"Don't fret, hanyou," the man said while he put a strange sort of (handklovar) on Kagome's wrists; they had a red and a white stone on each, and they seemed to shine more as they closed. "I'm not going to hurt your miko. I'm only making it more comfortable for us. Well, she may feel a bit faint when she wakes up, but she will not come to any harm." Stroking her cheek once, Ha Jinsoku rose and strolled across the room.

"How do you know? Isn't it your 'master' that's pulling the strings?" InuYasha spat, his eyes painted with pale pink and barely visible streaks on his cheeks.

Ha Jinsoku stopped and walked casually over to InuYasha's cell, leaning in to whisper:

"Because she's more valuable alive."

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><p>When Kagome came to, she was staring up into a dark roof. With closer inspection she saw that it was rough stone; looking like it had been cut out and then left alone in its rough shape. Turning her head slightly to inspect the room it didn't surprise her that almost everything were made out of stone, dirt and iron. A cell. Almost like in those pirate movies.<p>

She winced as she slowly rose so she could sit against the wall. With some difficulty though, since someone had put strange bracelets on her wrists. Tugging a little on them she discovered that they were far from pretty bracelets – a chain held her hands some inches apart, almost like handcuffs, with another chain imbedded in the wall to keep her from fleeing.

Scrutinizing the "bracelets" more closely she saw a pretty red on her left, and a pure white on her right. What use they made on a pair of "handcuffs" she couldn't make out. But whatever the use was for, it couldn't be good for her.

Kagome sighed and leaned her head onto the cold stone. Her head were spinning and she felt so weak. She didn't even feel like this when fighting Naraku! When she got injured she felt like crap, but then she always knew _why_. Now however…

"Kagome!" a voice from her left said excitedly, before a banging sound erupted. "Damn it! Kagome!"

She stiffened at the familiar voice and peered through the darkness until she found the source; a pair of amber eyes calling out to her, with soft white hair spilling around them.

"InuYasha…" she croaked. Coughing, she silently wondered how long she had been out of it.


	14. Chapter 13

**Well guys. This next chapter is going to be one with only Kouga and the rest of the gang I think. Theirs thoughts and feelings are important to, don't you think?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. If I did however, I wouldn't have to go to school. InuYasha characters belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

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><p>"Have ya found her yet?" Kouga was furious with worry and fear. He was constantly on the move, making it hard for his companions to keep up with him.<p>

"No, and neither InuYasha! Kouga, please slow down!" the woman, Sango, yelled at him from the cat-demon's back. "We won't be able to come up with a plan if we can't even catch our breath!"

The wolf youkai slowed down a bit, but kept up his steady walk. Kagome hadn't been there when he woke up to the morning light. None of the other humans had seen her either. The worst thing seemed to be that the dog-turd also was gone.

**What if our woman has gone with the half-breed?**, a cool voice asked in the back of Kouga's mind.

The wolf shuddered at his inner youkai's drawled suggestion. His inner beast was not one of those that appreciated a good joke once in a while, but more of the Lord Sesshomaru-kind; cold, menacing and most of all cruel. No one except Kouga's brethren knew of this of course. That was, Kouga mused silently, because he could control the beast rather good after 200 years of living with it. Only on rare occasions (near death, near Kagome that special time in month) he could lose control and his beast take over. Thankfully, that had yet to happen to Kagome.

'Then she would have told us before she left,' he answered carefully.

**Our woman never relied upon us before; why would she do so now?**

Kouga frowned. That was a fairly good question. Before, when Kagome had saved him from the Birds of Paradise (dog-breath was only in the way!) she had left right away. And without telling Kouga, as a matter of fact. He didn't complain however; if she had been with him when he had that injury, he didn't know what would have happened.

"Kouga!"

He started and swept his gaze to lie upon his brethren Hakkaku and Ginta, who were panting heavily with lack of oxygen and lying on the ground.

"Found anything?" he asked, while casually crossing his arms over his chest in a show of calm. Which he wasn't by the way his jaw was working.

"Actually, yes," Ginta panted. The younger wolf straightened and rummaged through his chestplate. With a tiny smile of success he drew out a piece of green clothing.

"That's all? If ya' hadn't noticed it earlier, there's quite many human villagers that goes around dressed in that crap," the wolf prince snorted.

Ginta whimpered. "But Kouga, just smell at it. It bears Kagome neechan's scent."

Kouga whirled around and nocked his subject over as he snatched the cloth from him. He pressed it to his nose and took a deep sniff, feeling the smell of strawberries and forest dance in his muzzle. Kagome's scent. He held his breath for as long as he could, letting the amazing scent whirl inside him, before he had to let it out. _Kagome's scent_.

Taking another, more careful sniff, he tried to make out other scents other than the intoxicating aroma; it was damp and cold from the morning dew, some small animal had skidded across it and there was a weak scent of… some sort of herb on it.

"What can you sense?" Hakkaku asked while lying sprawled out on the ground, his chest rising and sinking rapidly.

Furrowing his eyebrows Kouga glared at his brethren. "What I _sense_ is that you two lazy bags of fur found this valuable thing now, when Kagome supposedly got," another sniff," drugged and abducted sometime _tonight_. While you had the watch!"

Ginta narrowed his eyes, while he wrung his hands. "Kouga, you actually said we could take the night off. Ya' know, because neechan was with you and all… you wanted quality time with her?"

The wolf prince growled at them, letting his youkai take over for a mere second before bracing himself. He turned his back to his brethren, closed his eyes and took a third, final sniff. 'Had dog-breath been with her?'

The usual scent, strawberries and forest, waltzed by his nose before the next, the herbal drug, made him faintly groggy. Then he felt something that made his skin crawl with invisible cockroaches; the heavy scent of leather with some sort of bittersweet aroma around it.

"Found anything?"

He snapped his eyes open and peered down at the kitsune child's huge, watery eyes. The poor boy had been frantic at his 'mama' not being there, and had blamed her disappearance on the half-breed. He had told Kouga that when Kagome disappeared like this it mostly was because dog-turd had insulted her badly, one way or another.

"Yeah," he murmured to the kid. "I know what happened to her at least."

Shippo's eyes went wide with excitement, starting to bounce up and down while tugging on Kouga's arm. "So? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Lifting an eyebrow at the boy, the wolf prince ruffled the kitsune's hair.

"A'right, kiddo, settle down. Your making me look like an monkey soon if ya don't stop tugging." The kid immediately stopped and scrutinized the arm carefully, making Kouga laugh. "They doesn't grow larger from that short time. Now, what I could smell – "

"Kouga!"

He glanced over his shoulder at the approaching monk and demon slayer, before sighing dramatically. "Mind if I tell what I found now?"

"Hey!" his brethren said in chorus, but quieting when their boss glared nastily at them.

"Please, Kouga," the monk said with a strained smile," what is that that you have found?"

Showing them the piece of Kagome's clothing he sniffed. "This is Kagome's. Sometime last night someone drugged her with some kind of herb before dragging her off. Animals have crossed over it and the dew has made it lose some scent, but I can still sense the bastard that took her. " He paused.

"So?" Sango hissed impatiently. "What did you sense?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, before throwing the clothing to her. She held it a few seconds before letting it slide down to the ground, leaving the demon slayer with wide eyes in a suddenly pale face.

**This woman reminds us of a snowman**, his beast mused silently.

"You don't mean..?"

"Yeah." Kouga cracked his knuckles. "I guess it's time to track down some bastard-worms for actually daring to touch my Kagome."

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><p>Sorry guys that I haven't uploaded anything until now. I have been busy with a group-work that is supposed to be sent to my teacher today. Well, um, sad story incoming. My group dissolved earlier this autumn since the guy I was with changed class, so I was forced into another. At the moment, I had missed about 13 - 2/4 of what the other two had done, so I wasn't really into the "buying" of a house or taking a "loan" so, yeah. But now, they want to kick me out of the group since I "doesn't drag my straw to the stack". Meaning they don't think I'm working hard enough. They want me to stay at school and work with this thing until 21.00. Which means I'm home at ten, and royally mad and sad. I can understand that we have to work with it some hour after school, but what I don't understand is why we need to write a report in 20 pages, and why we haven't sat together earlier?  
>So... now my friday is ruined...<p> 


	15. Chapter 14

First, some answer to some reviewers:

**avid-reader21**: Yeah, worms. Kouga smelled Ha Jinsoku, who is a snake-demon. And for what I know, calling a snake a worm is the greatest kind of insult you can give. But hey, I'm sure there's a lot worse than that ^^

**mew mew 124**: That's the catch: I myself have no idea who I should let her end up with O.O Should it be the quiet (deadly) Sesshomaru, kind and bad-boy Kouga or InuYasha... For now, I can at least say I'm not that interested in letting InuYasha and Kagome be together. I mean, cheating with a claypot? Or not really cheating, but you get my point. Further into the story, who knows?  
>I'm not sure which snake you mean: Ha Jinsoku or Hebi Otoko? Both are kind of bent between killingseduce her, but Jinsoku is more the seducing and caring type, while Hebi is... well, more into the kill-scene.

**I don't own InuYasha characters (except my OC's that appears throughout this story). If I did, I wouldn't have to go to school. All credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi.**

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><p>They had been quiet for a long time; he had yanked and slashed at his prison, cursing their capturers, God and everyone else he could come up with, while she had tried to figure out why they were there, how they would get back and who had done it. Kagome could vaguely remember a handsome face with amazingly beautiful green eyes and the words 'I'm sorry', but that was also all. Her mind was quite foggy and she wondered if that green-eyed male had used something on her, or if it really had been him. Maybe he had been ambushed by some muggers and had promised them a girl in return for his life. She highly doubted it. His eyes had been plastered on her; he hadn't seemed like someone which life was in danger. If so, Kagome was sure his eyes would have darted a lot more.<p>

She glanced at InuYasha, now leaning against the iron bars with his arms sticking out between them. Kagome winced at the sight; she had never seen him look so defeated before, his head seeking support from his upper arms and his ears plastered against his scalp.

"InuYasha…" He turned his head slightly, one ear lifted to show he was listening. "How are you?"

"…how _I _am? What kind of stupid question is that?" he growled to her, his head slumping back on his arms. "The good question is: how are you? What did _he_ do to you?"

"He? He who?"

Now he straightened, his golden eyes piercing through the room and stabbing into her blue. "What do you mean who? Ha Jinsoku of course!"

_Ha Jinsoku_. To hear the name was as if a dam had burst, all the memories flowing through her at an amazing speed; Green eyes, moonlight, the sticky smell as something ambushed her nose, Kouga… _'Oh God, Kouga!'_

"What is it?" InuYasha suddenly perked up. "What is it, Kagome?"

She blushed, and bowed her head. If InuYasha could see how flushed she was he would know something had happened, but if he discovered the cause was Kouga… Kagome gulped and forced a wide smile to spread on her face.

"Nothing. Just thinking of the ironic situation in all of this. I mean, I did try to run home but now I'm chained up here in these… awfully pretty handcuffs with you, the one I did try to get away from nonetheless. Do you see my point?"

From the corner of her eye she could see InuYasha already stiff body stiffen even more and she immediately felt bad. She hadn't really meant to open her mouth and say those mean things to him, but she had been desperate for something that could cover up her and Kouga's… relationship? Was it a relationship if one of the parts was in love with the other which only recently had realized some sort of love for the first?

The silence stretched until it seemed thick as an mountain between them, until InuYasha opened his mouth again.

"…rry…" came his muffled voice. Under the silence his head had fallen back to his arms, and now he had his head pressed into his firerat robe.

"What? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you." She craned her neck and made a motion as if to go to him, but the stupid bracelets/handcuffs held her back. With a sigh she sat back down, massaging at her sore wrists.

"I'm sorry, alright? About that… but I owe Kikyou my life. My life is hers and hers is mine. I never meant-"

"To hurt me? InuYasha, I know that." She held her gaze glued to the stones in her bracelets; the red one seemed to shine more brilliantly than the white one, blood red versus cloudy grey.

"Kagome." She waited for him to continue, but when the silence only stretched on for what seemed like forever she raised her head and looked at him. He kneeled to her as closely as he could from behind the magical bars, his jaw working. Clearly he was not sure how to continue.

"You are the first person, demon or human alike, which I have ever trusted. You are my first friend and you are always there for me when I need you. Kagome, with you I can feel at ease with being what I am." He slumped forward, his head resting heavily on the bars and his hands clutching tightly around them. "But I am also the one who are responsible for Kikyou's death and because of that I will have to pay back with my own life."

Kagome smiled sadly at him and leaned her head back onto the cold stone. "I know, and I can't compete with her. I'm, after all, still alive."

InuYasha whipped his head up and opened his mouth to protest. "Kikyou and I are completely different," Kagome continued, not willing to let him stop her from speaking her mind," even though I'm her reincarnation and all. My heart is my own, not something I have inherited from her. But InuYasha, she and I share the same feeling for you; the need to see you again."

The realization hit him. She wasn't sad and angry at him simply because he had meet Kikyou; she was angry because… she felt something for him, something he had only felt for Kikyou. His eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a little; Kagome was in love with him?

"Only answer this for me Inuyasha." Her voice brought him back from his pained thought's and he glanced at Kagome, only to see her smiling at him while tears streamed down her face. If only he could he would take her in his arms and scream at her. _'Why are you smiling?'_

"Will you stay with me, after all of this?" She choked the words out. She knew that InuYasha's and Kikyou's bond was unbreakably and that she couldn't do anything to change that. Kagome only hoped he wouldn't push her away; if he did, she would never be able to forget him and get on with her life. If they were alive after whatever the kidnapper wanted with them.

"You will stay with me?" It sounded as a question, completing his dumbfounded expression; mouth slightly open, raised eyebrows and slightly flushed cheeks. She wanted to laugh out loud at the sight, if it weren't for her heart being ripped slowly into tiny bits of shreds.

She didn't, of course. She simply smiled at him and nodded weakly, closing her eyes and feeling the tears continue their route down her cheeks and along her throat. _'Silly you, InuYasha. I will be by your side forever.'_

"_Little __miss__, little miss, her face flushed from tears__"_

The prisoners jumped at the singing voice. They, or at least InuYasha, hadn't heard anyone enter the room; neither the echoing room before the creaking cell door had alerted them.

"_Her heart ripped apart, realize her fears__"_

Kagome started to sweat and made a motion to stand up, but her strength had suddenly drained from her, even though she had been unconscious for a pretty long time. Panting slightly she slumped to the wall while her hands gripped after something to hold her up.

"_Little miss, little miss, why tell a lie?"_

The voice sounded as if it was closer. InuYasha's head was practically hurdling across his shoulders as he tried to catch the voice's owner.

_"When it only will leave you to die"_

She felt her breath hitch as she felt the voice's owner's breathe into her neck. Kagome slowly turned her head and glanced over her shoulder, where she met the dreaded pair of crystal blue eyes and the playful smile that haunted her. Swallowing the lump in her throat she turned fully to meet her fiend and backed a few steps.

"Hebi Otoko," she whispered.

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><p>Hey guys! This took a while, and all because of a silly thing. I wanted this chapters conversation (?) between InuYasha and Kagome to resemble the one they had in "Return To The Place Where We First Met", episode 48 season 2 of the anime. I was to lazy to actually go upstairs, take the damn movie and play it. Instead I scrolled the Internet where I only ended up with vauge summaries. So... I made some stuff up, but I hope i got the feeling at least.<br>Also late with this chapter because of two speeches I have next week! One in Swedish class (eep!) and one for the Culture History class (yikes!). Also, I have to met my guidance counselor since I really want to change my career choice (called that?) because I don't get a **** about what we are talking about in Economics Class.

Either way, enough. Please review! ^^


	16. Chapter 15

As usual, I don't own InuYasha. Except some OC's I have added in this story, InuYasha characters belongs to Rumiko Takahachi.

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><p>Two weeks. Two weeks had passed and Kouga hadn't found her yet. Not her and neither the mutt. By now the wolf prince was so frustrated that he growled at everyone trying to talk to him, and killing the demons that came in his way met a fast death. Before, when he had seen his father die by a Bird of Paradise, he had let out his grief by killing some of them. But this time it wasn't enough to kill lower demons. His mate – <em>intended <em>mate – was gone and the grief in his heart and his very soul were paining him to the point of breaking.

He had wished several times these weeks that he had a dog's nose. '_Yeah, that's right! I want your damn snout, InuTrasha!' _If only he had the same sensitive nose as the dog-turd, maybe he would have found her by now. Kouga let out a pained growl and drove his hand roughly through his jet-black hair.

"Kouga Onii-sama."

He sighed deeply and glanced at the kitsune, red eyed and sniffling slightly from still unshed tears. His intended mate's adopted son, and thereby his own. Kouga kneeled in front of the boy and stared sadly into the green orbs.

*sniff* "Found anything yet?"

Every day the boy would ask the same question; in the beginning hopefully and excited for news, nowadays sad and hollow for the lack of the right answer.

Kouga sighed again and tugged the boy to him. "Not yet, kiddo."

The kitsune sighed and sniffed, a little louder now. Kouga's muzzle may not be as sensitive as a dog's but he could smell the salty tears welling up from the boy. Shippo hugged the older youkai's arm tightly, as if that very arm was the only thing keeping him from falling.

"I miss her," the boy hiccupped.

Kouga held the boy an armlength from him and looked the kitsune straight in the eye. "I do too. But we men have to be strong for her to come back."

Shippou sniveled again and nodded, straightening his back and lifting his head high. The wolf prince smiled at the boy and ruffled the red hair. "Good boy."

The young youkai smiled weakly at Kouga before turning on his heel and slowly walking back to where Sango and Miroku had their camp. Kouga sighed deeply and watched as the horizon started to bleed with the upcoming sun.

He was… restless. Or possibly bored. Whatever it was, he hadn't left Edo in two weeks' time. Sesshomaru sighed inwardly, but didn't let his thoughts grumble his outward appearance. He was the Lord Sesshomaru; no one would be able to tell how he felt and get away with it. Therefore, he did his outmost to prevent such bloodshed.

"My lord, may I ask why we are still in this pitiable place called Edo?"

Not regarding the imp with a sign of interest, the dog lord continued to stroll. No, _trailing_ was a better word. Graceful, indeed, but also strong and fast as if the lord really did have a goal. Also this a outward appearance.

"M-my lord?"

Sighing inwardly once more the demon suddenly stopped in his tracks, resulting in a scared-to-death Jaken to crash into his leg.

"Please for-"

"Jaken. Stop your yapping."

The imp lowered his head and clutched the Staff of Two Heads more tightly. "Y-yes my lord, please forgive this lowly servant of the g-"

"Jaken." The dog lord narrowed his eyes slightly and shot a nasty look at the imp behind him. Jaken immediately shut his mouth shut. The lord then slowly let his gaze wander to look at his young ward, for the moment sleeping soundly on Ah-Un. He let out the smallest of sigh's in relief; he didn't know how he would be able to not kill something if Rin started her chattering for another hour.

"Oi! The mutt's brother!"

Sesshomaru tensed slightly in his tracks as the words – _mutts brother_ – flew around his ears, taunting him to the point of making his nape crawl with disgust. Sniffing the air for the intruder he wrinkled his nose remotely as he sensed the other male youkai.

"Speak your business with me, wolf."

Kouga bit down hard on his lower lip as he felt InuTrasha's brother's yoki flared out at him. Somehow the wolf had made the silver haired taiyoukai upset, but how he had, it escaped his sense. He cleared his throat to get the annoying sense of defeat from his throat. It all hang on a thing thread.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I beg of you." Kouga let his voice drip with thick-fake-respect and lowered himself on the ground, kneeling unwillingly in front of the powerful Lord of the West.  
>"My intended got abducted two weeks ago, and I'm desperate for any lead at all to find her. Since my nose is far to non-sensibly to that of yours, I have come to beg for your help."<br>The wolf bowed all the way down until his nose touched the grass. "I beg of you my lord; help me."

It was unearthly quiet in the clearing and Kouga wondered panicked if he had said anything inappropriate; he had made a fool of himself just so that the _oh_-so-great Sesshomaru would lend his sense to Kouga's aid.

"What would I get out of this bargain?" the chilly lord then replied. Kouga smirked to himself.

"I will give you the bastard mutt, of course," he said, chancing a glance at the stoic demon lord who by now had the slightest sparkle of interest in his eyes. "You know him. InuYasha."

Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly and took a few fluid steps forward before stopping again. "Why would you offer the half-breed? I can smell the tajiya's and monk's scent on you, wolf. Clearly you are one of my silly little brother's companions."

"He," Kouga said with ill-covered malice," is the one keeping me and my intended mate apart." He lifted his eyes and found the demon lord staring interested back at him. No, not interested; curiously. _'Is he a pup or what?' _Kouga wondered.

"Who is this intended that has ensnared my dimwit brother?"

Kouga growled warningly at the lord. "My Kagome has not _ensnared_ anyone but me, dog lord." Remembering his mannerisms he added," I mean to say that my Kagome not is more loved than by me who are desperate enough to ask for a dog demon's aid, someone who we wolf demon's usually loath, and likewise dog demons hold the same feelings for my kind."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and blinked gradually. _'Kagome'._ The name swirled around his thoughts, sneaking in and out of distant memories. Suddenly he remembered a bleeding girl and his brother's hateful shouts and the desperate voice thereafter _'Why is Kagome hurt?'_  
><em>'You… came?'<em>. He jerked away from the memory, and felt confused at himself. Why had he recoiled so violently?

"Fine, wolf." Sesshomaru felt more surprised than the kneeling wolf in front of him seemed. The demon lord straightened himself into his full length. "I will lend you my aid, if you give me my brother." He declared, when he caught the whiff of old blood molest his nose.

The wolf had clearly sensed it too, since he stood, his feet planted deeply in the ground and watching his surroundings closely. Sesshomaru however stood in place, not bothering to draw his Tokujin. This scent was just as pleasing as it was disturbing.

The poor fool who staggered into the clearing looked like nothing but a pulp, covered in red and purple. The head was shaved, and little tufts of hair sticking out like a badly groomed lawn. Sesshomaru smirked as the person stopped in it's tracks and unseeing gaped at them, before it collapsed on the ground.

"What the hell?" the wolf announced unintelligently.

Sesshomaru sniffed and gave a short laugh, that was in need of training. "InuYasha, you fool."

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><p>Mwahahahaha! Yes, InuYasha, what a fool you are for getting yourself beaten up 83<br>No, seriously. It kinda hurt to imagine how he looked like, his beautiful silver hair gone, blood and bruises covering him from top to toe. Oh God, his beautiful hair *cry*  
>Hmm... so. Where's Kagome and what's she doing?<p>

Please review! Those keep my little bubble called 'life' rolling!


	17. Chapter 16

Damn! Currently having power failure (? google translate - worthless) at home, so are borrowing my grandma's electricity and Internet. Either way, InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahachi!

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><p>It took another two days before InuYasha woke up. By then Kouga had persuaded and pleaded with Sesshomaru to hold his word of the bargain; it may be so that the dog lord now had what he wanted, but he had to hold his promise to help the wolf find the young miko. After all, that was the deal.<p>

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were oblivious as to why the demon lord – also known as the brother hating InuYasha and thereby hating them – were tagging along on their hunt, but for now they didn't care much. The more people helping them with finding their friend were better than none. Even if this said person not was the most kind, thoughtful, emotion-showing, human-loving demon in the world.

Especially now when they flocked around the stirring body of Inuyasha, as if they were vultures circling around an especially tasty-looking corpse. Kouga leaned warily against the doorway, ready to leave or jump at the hanyou at any moment given, Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight.

"My good friend," Miroku said, clapping the hanyou heavily on the least bruised shoulder," what in the world happened to you?"

Shippo propped his hands on InuYasha's sickbed and leaned forward. "Never mind that," he said angrily and glared at InuYasha's badly injured face, trying to find the amber somewhere in the purple and blue," where are Kagome? You didn't leave her, did you?"

InuYasha's eyes shot open and he rose suddenly as if he were about to go up, but winced as his whole body screamed in protest. His friend's warm hands pushed him down again, not without causing him more harm as they did.

"You need to lie down, InuYasha." Sango scolded. "In my village our strongest warriors needed at least a month after the same sort of injuries as you clearly has suffered, and because you are half demon your healing are faster. But even so, you are still not ready to be up and about anything. Lie down, rest and recover."

Sango's outward appearance was that of a master reprimanding its student, but inside she felt as if she was a general, watching the lines of a battlefield – her warriors losing. InuYasha had, throughout their journeys, been caused severe injuries, but none had ever been this bad. When Naraku's incarnation Kanna turned the Wind Scar against the hanyou it had been close to death; when Kagome's body had been taken over by Menomaru it had been slightly worse than bad. But his hair gone, bruised body, broken ribs, broken arm, blisters on both hands and feet? And not to forget the worrysome fact that his wounds – made from some sort of tool – had taken almost these two days to heal?

"I- can't lie… here," he choked. Sango winced slightly as she watched the newly healed scar on his throat wobble. "They still h-have Kagome."

Swiftly the wolf youkai shoved the tajiya out of his way and loomed over InuYasha. He narrowed his eyes at the beaten body. "Tell me about the fools."

InuYasha seemed as if he stared something no one else could see before he noticed the wolf and recoiled in surprise. His eyebrows narrowed in return, but a not completely healed cut under one of the brows made him think better of it.

"The fools, you say? For star-starter, they are reptile dem-ons," he whispered hoarsely before a violent coughing made him crumble into a heap. Miroku offered a cup of water, but InuYasha only waved it aside. "The leader of the gang is Hebi Otoko. His second in command, and also the one who kidnapped me and Ka-Kagome is called Ha Jins-oku."

"How did you end up like this?" the monk asked.

The fox kit snorted and blew his hair out of his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? InuYasha clearly made them angry in some way or another and they made him pay for it."

Unmistakably InuYasha was feeling better, since he had enough strength to hit the kit on the head. "Yeah, b-ut only because they was ab-about to take her away from me for some sort of cer-moni. I shouted at them and called them cowards and that they should figh-ht someone in their own strength." InuYasha swallowed painfully, the only sound in the deafening quiet hut. "They made her watch as they started with hit-ting me. Nothing I can't handle but still a pain in the ass since three of them held me in p-place. Then they toke one of the torches on the walls and burned my hands and feet, before they used the sharp end of it to pierce me. Finally they en-ded it with cutting of my hair. And all the while K-agome screamed."

The onlookers watched in badly hidden horror as a tear slipped from InuYasha's eye and slide down his cheek. "That was the worst; seeing the pain, horror and anger in her face and hearing her cursing and screaming. And I couldn't do anything."

The other's, except InuYasha, jumped as Kouga smashed his hand into the wooden wall, again and again. Then he leaned heavily at it, for the unknowing person looking as if the wolf prince were begging it for forgivness. The prince's mind drifted only around the name.

_Kagome, made her watch, Kagome, she screamed, Kagome, couldn't do anything, Kagome, take her_

**Our mate is in danger.**He flinched slightly as his inner beast circled around his mind, sneaking into his minds words. **We must find our mate soon; preferably now,** it said.

'_I know that,' _he growled at it, pounding at the wall again. _'But where?'_

**Doesn't we have a dog in our service? Doesn't we have the pitiable hanyou to drag any useful information from? Aren't we the leader of the wolf tribe?** His youkai chuckled humorlessly, it's cool voice spilling cold water throughout his body. **Of course, maybe the tajiya and monk have some tricks up their sleeves.**

Kouga heard muffled voices through the cloud that always blocked out everything whenever his youkai talked – teased – him. He ignored the suggestive voice in his body and turned to see InuYasha's lips moving again. Confused he met the tajiya's eyes and it was like the cold water that had been leaking from his youkai now came flushing down at him, alike the waterfall at his den. He closed in to them and paid attention to the hanyou.

"… and she was so weak that she was mute for a week. Those bracelets or handcuffs or whatever has, if Ha Jinsoku is a man of his words, muffled her powers until she smells like a normal human. But," InuYasha glanced at the wolf," whatever those are they are bad news."

Kouga glared at the tajiya, desperately begging her with his eyes to tell him what the hanyou were talking about. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Kouga-kun, Kagome is being used by the reptile leader."

He had suspected that much, but the words still froze the cold water in him to ice.

Sango swallowed thickly before turning away from him, avoiding eye contact and trying to hide the tears from him. "She was… abused by him. He…" she didn't dare to complete the sentence and she couldn't either way; Kouga had already leapt out of the hut, leaving the flap to rustle behind him.

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><p>This tree had fifty-two thousand and six leaves. It also had sixty-four branches, whereas twenty of them were the largest and longest and the remaining forty-four were thinner ones connected through the twenty. Fascinating how a tree, the nature, could produce something so complicated but also so fragile.<p>

Sesshomaru bored drew a claw at the trunk, leaving a sizzling scar as his poison settled into the tree. He sat gracefully down against the huge trees roots, sticking up and posing as nature's version of a minuscule mountain. Covered in grass and vegetation instead of snow and stone.

Letting his head fall against the tree trunk he sighed heavily. He wanted to tease something, he wanted to hurt something, but most important – he wanted to kill something just to ease this suffocating boredom. He didn't even have Jaken to amuse himself with since he had sent the imp and Rin back to his stronghold.

Heaving another sigh he heard footsteps rapidly rising in volume as someone came crashing into his peaceful – and awfully dull – glade. Sitting up in a not-so-bored-but-powerful seating he awaited the unwelcome guest and welcome distraction. Understand the lord's displeasure when his distraction proved to be his reluctant ally.

Kouga of the Wolf Tribe skidded to a stop in front of the lord, his speed whirling up clouds of dirt and leaves, tickling Sesshomaru's nose as it settled.

"So," Sesshomaru said with a quirk of his lips in something that resembled a smirk," are we heading out?"

Kouga snorted and placed his hands on his hips. "Of course."


	18. Chapter 17

**Yo! Folks! I'm not dead just yet! Have had quite a busy week, with Christmas and change of course in school and... well, other stuff. But I have really tried to write when I could (I got a loooot of time for that last week. Did I mention our electricity in my house got broken? Or however you explain it in english -.-').  
><strong>**AND! Believe it or not, from now on I'm going to let le chapters be at least 2000 words! Am I gonna survive? **

**InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm mainly borrowing them for my weird thoughts of cute/sexy/manly harem of boys. Which doesn't exist in real life here, it seems...**

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><p>Sango let out a breath she hadn't realized she had hold, before turning to InuYasha. "Tell us what you didn't tell Kouga."<p>

InuYasha smirked evilly. "Ya noticed that?"

"Of course," she sniffed," you would never behave as if these things actually hurt you." She slapped the hanyou on his shoulder. Which, in InuYasha's case, did hurt like hell. Nonetheless, he didn't utter a sound as hot tears smeared behind his closed eyelids.

"Now, you tell us the real thing, starting with this 'abused Kagome' thing." Sango leaned back with her arms crossed over her chest in a way that reminded the audience of a mother scolding a naughty child.

"Sango, my dear, have I asked you yet?" the monk said with such a seriousness to his tone that the taijiya couldn't turn away. He pried one of her hands from her – quite lovely – figure and while absentmindedly rubbing her knuckles he asked:

"Will you bea-"

"No, damn houshi pervert!" the young woman yelled angrily, dragging her hand out of his grasp and then hitting her other in a well-practiced swing at his face. Shippo and InuYasha flinched slightly at the sound, but Miroku seemed to have wandered off to Dream-a-la-Koko-land. This land supposedly filled with young girls who were more than willing to do anything for the monk.

"Damn masochist," Sango muttered shakily, feeling her skin crawl over her in waves.

"What's a masochist?" the kitsune asked cheekily.

"InuYasha! Please!" Sango pleaded for the hanyou to hurry, before anyone could explain such a word to the small kitsune. Kagome would kill her if Shippo learned anymore words other than swearing from InuYasha, and embarrassing pervert words from Miroku. The least they needed were a trickster that swore with a good vocabulary and a sense of snaring women when he grew up.

These thoughts must have shone through her eyes as InuYasha snickered, but it was a sad and a not so little angry sound. "Well. She did scream at Hebi and she had tried to roast him a couple of times, but that didn't work because of those bracelets of hers. Anyway, she got paid for it with a few slaps." InuYasha chuckled darkly.

"You think it's funny that they're hurting Kagome?" Shippo bounced up and down in fury. "You… _you_… twerp!" he cried and attempted to hit InuYasha, when the hanyou gave him a painful jab on the forehead. "Why did you do that for? I'm just a little kid!"

"Shut up, will ya? Kagome was really brave; even though mister Scale and Tail hit her she recoiled with more screaming, hitting and swearing." The hanyou murmured.

Miroku coughed slightly. "Was it a… very colorful swearing young Kagome had?"

InuYasha grinned. "Hell yeah! You should have been there! She used these words that I had never heard before. I think they are from her time; they sounded like-"

"Okay! Guys? There is a kid here, it isn't necessary to feed him with both swearing," Sango glared at InuYasha," and pervertness." She shot a scowl at the monk. "So she wasn't… used in any other way by the creep?"

The hanyou startled slightly but continued. "Nah, nothing other than hits." He narrowed his eyebrows. "Although I don't entirely like the way that Ha Jinsoku is looking at her."

"Please, describe how." InuYasha looked dumbfounded at Sango, his eyebrows sticking out from the shaved head. If he had had any hair left, Sango thought sadly, those would have vanished under it.

"Why should I describe it?"

Sango sighed heavily at his dumbness, while shooing Shippo out of the hut and pointing at Miroku. "Because, this baka monk knows a lot about perverseness and looks; surely he knows what this 'look' means."

Miroku grinned happily and clasped his hands once again over Sango's. "My dearest, are you finally finding me useful to you? Maybe then you will b-"

"No!"

Another slap echoed in the hut, this time the onlookers ready for it. Shippo wondered lightly if Miroku were one of those 'love-struck' youngsters his Pa had told him about once. When other kitsune had nuzzled each other or giving sneaky comments to the other, the kit had found it strange to insult one another. But his Pa had reassured him that this was how kitsune's courted each other; by being madly in love they were driven to do the meanest of tricks against the desired one.  
>Now as Shippo sighed and shook his head he realized that was exactly what these two were doing; courting each other.<p>

"Are ya quite done yet? This is getting tiresome." InuYasha yawned to make his point. "As I was about to say, Ha Jinsoku kept having this weird look; like, looking at her with soft eyes or something. Something like Kagome use to have when looking at Shippo." InuYasha moodily plucked at an invisible thread in his thick blanket. "When he looked at me however, I could have sworn he was burning to kill me."

"Hmm…" Miroku contemplated this new information for a moment, a red hand mark blushing angrily at both of his cheeks. "That is, indeed, quite a look. If it was a normal soldier or some other person, I would say they had fallen for her. However, this snake demon is not a 'normal' person, correct?"

"Yeah. No matter what I said or screamed or spat for that matter, he would just smile at me and talk as if we were talking about the weather. Not even Sesshomaru would be able to force such a creepy smile for such a long time." The humans, demon and hanyou shuddered in unison at the horrifying thought.

"Kouga will never be able to find him, even if he uses my brother's nose." InuYasha said suddenly, startling the other's into dumbfounded expressions. He snorted loudly at them. "Come _on_, already. I'm half dog demon – I can pick up that bastards smell even if my sense of smell isn't as good as his."

The hanyou shock his head and smiled, a big grin plastered on his face. A smile that didn't reach his eyes, didn't twinkle them like a happy persons would. But then again, what did InuYasha have to be happy for? The Gods mercy over his life? Or that Kouga now where on his way to save Kagome – however he would never be able to reach her. And why would he be happy if the scrawny wolf saved Kagome? It should be InuYasha who saved her, as it always was! And she would be happy as she always was when he came.

'But do I have the right to remain by her side, even after what I did? Whatever I did?'

_Only answer this for me, InuYasha. Will you stay with me, after all of this? _Kagome's tears, filling his vision. Kagome's sweet voice, swirling in his assaulted ears with her voice. Kagome's dejected smile, breaking his heart.

Throwing the blanket from him he sat up, her voice and tears urging him on. Grimacing as his new skin stretched over his healed wounds he put his feet on the cold floor, hissing slightly as his blisters burned painfully. Even so he stood up, leaning heavily against the wall and starting for the door.

_InuYasha, are you insane? You aren't healed yet! Don't make me say it!_

He grinned as Kagome's voice scolded him. "I dare you, wench," he said out loud.

_Then, InuYasha…_ He flinched and closed his eyes. _SIT!_

When he didn't thud into a painful heap on the ground he opened his eyes slowly. Looking around the only thing he saw were the village outside and his friends shocked expressions inside the hut.

"InuYasha… are you alright?" Shippo took a few cautiously steps toward him, before stopping and glancing anxiously at the hanyou.

"Never been better," he mumbled. Straightening into his combat-posture he shoot a glare at the other three. "What are ya' standing around for? We have to save Kagome!"

"But," Sango stammered, running out after him," your wounds-"

"-are healed." InuYasha glared over his shoulder before noticing the tajiya's worry. "Keh, I've been worse. Just a flesh wound by now anyway. So are you coming with me or not? Since I'm the only one who will be able to find the place after all."

* * *

><p>"Damn!"<p>

Kouga hit a huge rock with all his might, splitting it in two in his burning rage. Whirling around with his impossible speed he kicked at a nearby tree, sending it flying through the forest before it landed with a huge splash in across a river. The Lord of the Western Lands stared with mild amusement at the wolf's foolishness. Finally, the wolf had lost it, it seemed.

"Damn, damn, damn! Baka mutt, walking here of all places!" the wolf howled while whirling around, hitting and kicking every living and nonliving thing within range. Thankfully, and foremost lucky, for him Kouga had yet to attack Sesshomaru with any of his pesky rage filled despair. The wolf jumped into the river in an attempt to cool himself off, but instead he started assaulting the very water.

"Wolf, if you dare making a fool of yourself even more, and therefore me as your companion, I see no reason for this companionship to last any longer." The dog demon sighed, finally feed up with the pup behavior. Really, Sesshomaru had held his share of the deal; lead the wolf for as far as Sesshomaru's sense of smell could, which was here. Clearly, his mutt brother had been wading, or rather running, through this water stream for quite some time since he, Sesshomaru, could not pick up the disgusting stink of his half-brother neither on the other side of it, nor farer downstream. Clever for leaving ones foe's with sharp noses behind. Stupid if you wanted to get back. Of course, his brother was _not_ clever – only stupid and impulsive.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that I make a fool of myself when I can't find her!" the wolf yelled from the water stream, catching a huge fish in its gills before throwing it higher upstreams," I'm oh so sorry that I can't control my emotions over my loss, and I'm so goddamn sorry you have to be caught up in this!"

Panting heavily, Kouga let his arms fall down, his hands plowing through the streaming water before stilling and starting to cool. He stared down into the stream, stared at nothing as water playfully tugged at his body, letting him know that the elements didn't care how heartbroken and haunted he was.

"At least you have the brains to know what you have to be sorry for."

Kouga didn't care to glare at Sesshomaru as the older demon folded his legs gracefully under him and sat down next to a cherry tree. Replacing his swords Sesshomaru closed his eyes. "When you find it necessary to become sensible again, you are welcome to do so. Until then, do not bother me with troublesome things such as assaulting animals and plants."

Resisting the urge to make a face at the dog demon, Kouga simply stood in the waist high water and blinked. Hollow inside out, he felt as if his heart and very soul had left him along with his high hopes of getting his Kagome back again.

_Kouga-kun, are you feeling alright?_

Scary, how he could imagine how her voice sounded like, even when she wasn't even there. He did just love her that much. Then why couldn't his love be enough when it was needed the most? Why couldn't his love lead him to where she was? Why couldn't his love be enough for her?

He blinked again, this time to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. If he let them, he could as well drown himself in this river, since his knees would give way along with the first tears.

"Cry, and you will be left where you are, wolf." The drawled voice made his insides churn with misdirected rage. It would be bad if he tried to attack the lord, and worse if he tried to dig out said lord's eyes. "Allies who cannot contain themselves are more annoying than ones foes."

"You don't say…"


	19. Chapter 18

**I disclaim any rights to the InuYasha characters.**

* * *

><p>Interesting how amusing this little wolf prince turned out to be. Sesshomaru chuckled inwardly, while his outer appearance held his normal icy stance. After one whole day and half this night in the wolf's company, the Western Lord had pretty much figured the wolf out.<p>

Kouga did, for example, not take lightly on teasing of his person, or on his affection toward the human for that matter. Whenever the taiyoukai questioned his choice of mate, the younger male's face would turn a furious red, with his dark eyebrows narrowed at him; very much resembling a wrinkled tomato, with an assembly of leftover blast turned black. A very fitting image which amused Sesshomaru to no end.

Right now, as the first sunrays licked the sky, he was smirking at the wolf's bad attempts at tracking InuYasha's last known trace. Kouga jumped to the side where they had sniffed the mutt's foul scent last – which was now not such an easy attempt when the wolf had erased the mutt's presence with his own – before he jumped to the other side and started sniffing after the older trace. Which of course, wasn't there. Kouga growled and jumped over the river for the hundredth time. Jumping back and forth like the little rabbit he was; senseless, agitated and frightened.

"Are you quite done with your acrobatics yet?" Sesshomaru asked lazily, stretching like a cat before rising fluidly.

The other demon growled at him and continued his sniffing, spitting and growling with frustration. "No I'm not!" he yapped, sniffing at a bush before dismissing it. "She's my mate, god dammit! I need to find her! I have already told you that, you son of a…" he muttered and brought his nose down low on the ground.

Sesshomaru raised a delicate eyebrow and smirked. "Then do tell me, wolf; how are you supposed to find the trail if you are disintegrating it with your own smell?"

"Don't tell me. What. To. Do!" Kouga roared, crumbling an innocent-looking tree to 's other eyebrow rose at the antics and he couldn't help but feel sorry. For the tree, that is.

Panting heavily the wolf fell to his knees, staring unseeingly as his first tears of despair started to fall. "Don't tell me, just help me…" he sniffled. His head fell forward and he buried his face in his hands as his sobs grew more haggard and more desperate.

Sesshomaru sighed. How depressing seeing a fellow demon, even though a much weaker demon, fall into crumbles by a simple human girl. No, not depressing, he corrected himself. It was _insulting_ to the whole demon race to see something like this, and not execute the filth. Shaking his head mentally, he shot an icy glare at the still crying wolf demon, who now had curled in on himself and wagged slowly from side to side.

"Wolf, snap out of your artifices. You will not help your '_mate_' in that state of mind." Sesshomaru dragged out the word as if he tasted bile on his tongue. 'Mate, my ass,' as the mutt would have said. "It will be more efficient if-"

An electric bolt, deep in his stomach, flared to life. It tickled his insides and ran through his veins, up to his nose. Startled Sesshomaru snapped his head up, scrutinizing the surrounding trees – what was left of them. Not a sound, nor a movement, except for the sniffling wolf and the sound of running water, the surviving bushes and leaves waving slowly in the mild breeze. Even so, he could hear, no, _feel_ something out there. But what was it? What was it that sent electric energy through his body, weaker yet very alike his dragon arm he once had had?

"_Kouga~"_

* * *

><p>InuYasha cursed. He had made quite a lie back there, telling them he was alright. Hell he was. Hearing illusions and believing them to be real? To freaky to be okay, even for him.<p>

Not only that, but his legs wounds had reopened. His friends hadn't mentioned his blood stained legs just yet, but soon they would. They always did after all. Or was that only Kagome? Surely the others used to be concerned for him to? Hmm…

"InuYasha!"

He snapped back to reality as Miroku held him back with his staff, not moving an inch as InuYasha wrestled against the hold.

"What the hell, Miroku?

"Can´t you see that?" the monk asked cautiously, pointing with his clothed hand on something a few steps from where they stood. There, in front of them, lied a human; a very dead, blood-dry human male. His skin looked almost papery and his eyes had turned a ghastly light blue. A deep sniff and InuYasha muttered to the others that the human hadn't been dead for that long – maybe one day or two at most.

"How is that possible?" Shippo quivered and gripped a handful of the petite Kirara in his tiny hands. "F-for what I know, people o-only look like that when th-they have b-been dead a long t-t-time. Don't they?"

Sango knelt in front of the man and scrutinized the body, lifting a crackling limb occasionally. "There's nothing natural with his death, that´s for sure. But", she said and cast a look at the males, "it's nothing demonic about it at all."

"What the hell?" InuYasha exclaimed rubbing his head.

"My words exactly," Miroku said gravely.

"InuYasha – can you try to find some sort of trace or scent or whatever on him that can tell us what attacked him?"

"Well, sure." He said, stepping past Sango before placing his head one inch from the corpse, casted a look on the others and then closed his eyes.  
>He took a deep breath. A deep frown creased his forehead as the scents of wilderness and panic struck his nose. Whatever it had been, it hadn't been merciful on this man.<br>Another, deeper sniff and he could smell the icky smell of sweat still lingering in the clothes. Running for a while, huh.  
>A third sniff and his eyes snapped open. He stumbled on his heels and landed flat on his rump, his friends urging him loudly to tell them what happened, but he didn't give a damn. A scent he knew, but hadn't smelled for what seemed like years. But how was that possible? Surely it couldn't…<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Kouga~"<em>

Sesshomaru growled a warning out into the clearing to whoever it was that dared trespass. Sure, the wolf was a disgrace, but nonetheless he was now Sesshomaru's responsibility – he would not let a demon or _human_ get near enough to kill him. He took one step closer to the wolf, which now had stopped his crying and had settled for a haggard breathing. The wound he had received from a thrown knife in his abdomen didn't make his breathing any easier. The stench of spilled demon-blood made Sesshomaru growl an even deeper snarl.

"_Oh? And lord Sesshomaru too? How nice!"_

It _twittered_ to him. _Twitter_, oh lord. He gritted his teeth and plucked out Tokijin from its sheet. No one _twittered_ like a little bird to him and lived to tell the tale. He held the ominous sword lazily to his side before letting his infamous icy glare stare straight forward, while his other senses stayed alert for whatever could strike out at him from behind.

"Show yourself, midget," he demanded. He would never show it, but he started to feel a little panicked when he couldn't catch any smell from what this foe was, or more important; where it was. The panic plus the constant shocks of lightning in his stomach equaled to a Sesshomaru not at his best.

"_Midget? Now, that isn't very nice of you. I can tell you that I'm far, far, FAR from being a midget, thank you very much!"_

An irritated twittering now, but it was still floating around the clearing, still making it hard to know where its user came from. A whistling sound erupted, darting closer to the demons. Sesshomaru barely managed to dodge the second throwing knife as it sizzled past him and imbedded itself in the ground, a few inches from Kouga's foot. The wolf twitched but succeeded from yelping at the weapon.

"_Naaaw! Why can't you stand still for?" _

Now Sesshomaru was certain this creature was a female. The twittering and the exasperated sound couldn't explain it any other way. He smirked smugly to himself.

"Show yourself, _woman_," he clarified with his deep baritone.

"Well, that **is** better, I can give you that. But my name is _not woman _or anything of the sort! It isn't wench, witch, bitch, girl, babe, lady, sweetheart or _woman_, if we shall add that to the collection. _Men_."

He almost laughed. She huffed and if he had seen her face he would have bet that she was pouting. But Sesshomaru never laughed openly; he settled for a lazy smile instead.

"Indeed. Men can be such a disgrace, don't you think?" he said out loud, keeping a careful eye on the surroundings as he motioned to the wolf. "Just look at the wolf; crying like a little cub for something he does not need. The disgrace of have chosen a _human _mate is simply too much, isn't it?"

He jumped as a rain of arrows and knives shot down at him, directly from his left. He smirked triumphantly as he skidded on the ground and jumped once more from the deadly weapons.

"How dare you?" the female shrieked. "Love is the purest of all; what does it matter if it is between a human and a demon, or a dog and a frog for that matter? I despise you, Lord of the Western Lands, brother of InuYasha!"

That certainly killed his smile, but now he at least knew where she was. He rushed faster than the poor wolf could see, and before he knew it a rustle in the great oak tree and a small shriek of surprise later Sesshomaru stood by his side again. With a wrestling girl.

It certainly was embarrassing to say the least, to get pierced in his stomach by a thrown knife from a little girl. This little girl was clad in blood-red colors and it jingled and clinked from her as she moved. Soon he saw that the clinking noise came from the many knifes she still had in a little belt bag by her side, and from the many links she had braided into her hair.  
>She was sparsely clothed; a short black and red tainted skirt with a split that traveled up to her thigh, and a likewise small shirt over her bosom. Kouga remembered Kagome in her "bathing clothes", as she had called them when he had asked. She had said it was called a be-kai-ni and it was a common thing to bath in where she came from. He snorted to himself and closed his eyes as the memory brought forth new pain, and with that, more tears.<p>

"What are you waiting for?" he asked Sesshomaru quietly. "Just kill her already."

Silence regarded him. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes tiredly only to stare right at the smiling girls face. Blue orbs glittered at him as they had done before, but this time it was no friendliness that met him.

"K-Kagome?"

She smiled then, not the beautiful smile he remembered and loved, but a smile that was wholeheartedly predatory. She smiled wickedly and tipped her head in what resembled his adorable woman. But nothing was more eerily than watching the person you love the most flashing such a toothy grin, blue eyes enormous as they ogled him.

"Hey, Kouga-kun! Like my new style?" she chirped.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. Hands up everyone who knew that was coming! xD<br>**First, I'm sorry for not uploading in ages (weeks?). It has been much with school lately and then I'm supposed to do an operation for my underbite and for my twisted overbite, so I've been a bit emotional lately. Or maybe that's due to hormones? Er, yeah...  
>I was about to upload this yesterday though, but something was wrong with the site when I tried to upload! Therefore, one day and a few weeks late, but here it is!<br>Please do review!


	20. Chapter 19

"InuYasha! Are you alright? What happened? Say something! Is it a demon? Hey, InuYasha!"

The questions and demands had been raining on him for a while now, but he couldn't have cared less to explain. He didn't even bother to protest when they shock, pinched or dragged him. Not when this scent was all he had been searching for, but not thought possible to smell so soon.

The strawberry scent, from that bathing utensil she used while bathing, where really weak but the sweet scent – her _real_ scent – of her warmth and the smell of his home, his forest, was filling and tickling his nose as he breathed. The only thing amiss was the underlying tone of terror and blood.  
>But how could this be? When did Kagome get out, and how did she do it? Moreover, was she badly hurt?<p>

He took another hesitating sniff and relief flooded him; she was hurt, but not badly so. The scent of blood, _her _blood, was far too weak. Then he narrowed his eyes as he glared accusingly at the corpse; the scent from the dead man was far too much to be able to scent more of Kagome, which was making it crawl over his skin with anger.  
>Silent shock dulled him – when had she crossed ways with this man?<p>

Suddenly he was jolted back to reality as a cackling voice filled with malice sounded in the clearing.

"InuYasha." The deep baritone made the hanyou's skin crawl. "How amusing it is to see you sitting on the ground, lowering your head to me. Are you finally ready to meet your fate at my claws?"

InuYasha shot up, Tetsusaiga drawn and stared at the person to whom the voice belonged to. Dark, tangled hair on a head whose face, which would have been considered handsome if it had not held a taunting smile and eyes which glinted red. The baboon pelt that pooled around his shoulders completed the look of pure evil.

"Naraku, you bastard!" InuYasha flew at the demon, lifting his sword high to strike down at the foe. "Today is the day you'll die!"

Another surprise came when Naraku lifted his hands in defeat, and shrunk back in a hunched pose, all the while shaking his head. His eyes were enormous but instead of red they were green.

"InuYasha!" Naraku screamed, the high-pitched squeal scratching his insides. Disgusting. "Stop it! It's me!"

InuYasha swiped the sword down, but growled with frustration as Naraku jumped out of the way, letting the mighty fang implanting itself in the earth. Naraku screamed all the while as he ran to hide behind Sango.

"Your antics don't work on me, Naraku," he snarled darkly, snatched his sword to his side. "I know it's you alright; don't you think that's why I'm trying to kill you?" InuYasha held his father's fang out in front of him and was about to jump at Naraku when he suddenly got knocked down. Grass and earth filled his mouth as his fangs got smacked deep into the ground.

"Oh, how I wished for Kagome-sama's 'sit'-technique right now," Miroku sighed sadly, giving InuYasha one last push down in the dirt with his staff.

"What did you do that for?" the hanyou sputtered, spitting out bits of grass and earth.

Miroku sighed again, and motioned for Naraku to come to his side. Naraku hesitated at first but then quickly ran over, only to hide behind Miroku, peeking over the monk's shoulder at InuYasha.

"As you can see, my foolish and ignorant friend," Miroku started before giving Naraku a light hit on his skull, "this is so not the person – or demon – known as Naraku. This is merely an illusion."

"Yeah! That was what I was about to say before 'Yasha got all crazy and tried to kill me!" High-pitched Naraku screeched. If looks could kill, InuYasha would have been a puddle on the ground right about now. All mushy and bubbling, alright. A bright red and white bubbling puddle.

"How the hell would I have known?" He glared daggers at the males as he rose to sit on his soles. It only occurred to him then that Naraku's scent – the smell of decomposing and wet substances – didn't smell like Naraku. With a loud poff Naraku transformed to a very upset Shippo.

"By my scent, you idiot!"

"Not my fault that you smell like that bastard!"

"What? I do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Do TO!"

A sigh was the only warning they got as the holy monk's staff once more gave their heads a gentle smack. Ignoring the curses from InuYasha and the shrieks from Shippo, he shot a glare at the hanyou that shut him up completely.

"Mind telling us your sudden flat-on-you-rump session? Because you should know by now," Miroku leaned closer, causing the hanyou to recoil a little," that I don't like you having secrets from us. Especially where the _real_ Naraku is concerned."

It suddenly occurred to InuYasha that Miroku was angry, no, _furious_ was a better word. A fire was practically burning behind those eyes of black marble, a fire that threatened to burn anything that dared stand in his way to revenge. The eyes and the hard set on his jaw was the only things that showed it though.

"Well…" InuYasha hesitated. Should he really tell them what he knew? Was it wise to let them know that Kagome had been here, along with this man? He frowned at the thought. Would he dare to say it out loud? What would them, and he, think when they heard the words he so dreaded to say?

"InuYasha!" the monk growled. "Tell it now or I swear I will use my Wind Tunnel on you."

Hanyou and monk had a staring contest, silently urging the other one to dare the first step. Finally InuYasha broke it.

"Fine. It's-"

* * *

><p>Kouga stared out at nothingness. The woman he loved, had loved or maybe never knew, sat between him and Sesshomaru who still held her small wrists in an iron grip with his remaining hand. The girl herself seemed pretty content with the attention from them; she looked at each of them in turn from under her lashes and tilted her head now and then, squirming as she did. When she locked eyes with one of them she would smile mischievous before dismissing that person for the other male.<p>

It was quite unsettling for him, especially since he had always wanted Kagome to have such a look for him one day. However, the thought bleached a little when he took in the details of her not being herself and that she was giving Sesshomaru the same looks.

Unsettling, indeed. He frowned deeply and bit into his knuckle as he thought. Just then she returned her attention to him. She lowered her head until she could see his face.

"Eh? Kouga-kun? Worried for something? Tell me, I'm good at secrets. Though," she peered at the demon lord, who completely ignored her for a moment," I doubt 'this Sesshomaru' wouldn't listen in. Eavesdropper there."

Sesshomaru returned his attention and stared icily at her, but she only beamed at him and winked. Sesshomaru looked completely taken aback at the sight; he recoiled a little and stared at her with a nonplussed expression on his face – mouth slightly open and wide golden eyes.

Kouga would have laughed, if it hadn't been for the fact that it was _his _woman that smiled at his _ally_ and moreover _winked_ at the male! He started unconsciously to growl.

"Oh, hush, bad wolf." Kagome stared at him now, a slight pout on her mouth as she shushed at him.

"Care to tell what you're doing outside your prison, miko?" Sesshomaru had found his voice again it seemed, even if it sounded to Kouga as if the Ice Lord wasn't quite safe in his baritone. It shook slightly as he talked to the girl.

**That we have to take action against**, his beast growled angrily. It shook inside of him with barely contained anger at the dominant male who was so close to its mate.

_Silence, you fool_, Kouga barked at it. _Can't you see with our eyes that he's simply holding her so she won't flee?_

**He's too close for our taste! And why would she try to flee? It is our mate!**

_May be so, but it is not the Kagome we knew…_

"Heh, Kouga-kun are making funny faces! What's he doing, Sesshomaru-san?" Kagome giggled, and smiled her new predatory grin.

**Woman called us -san?** Sesshomaru's beast was highly displeased, and so was its owner.

"Answer my question, woman." He growled. He could feel how his eyes turned red for a moment. _Sesshomaru-san_…

The girl sighed and leaned into Sesshomaru, giggling lightly as she felt him stiffen. "My name's Kagome. It's not miko, woman, wench, girl, witch, bitch, babe, lady or sweetheart." She bit into her lip, as if in deep thought. "Hey, haven't we had this conversation before? Hmm…"

**Woman is making fun of us?**

_Probably._

"Kagome. How did you get out?" Kouga leaned forward on his soles to stare the girl deeply into her blue orbs.

"Hmm, here is a boy with good manners, calling me by name," she said and nodded wisely. "They are so rare, you know? At home it's just 'Higurashi-san, Higurashi-san'. _Boring_!" Kagome fell silent for a moment and both males could see her frown. "But that _is _a good question; how did I get out? Seems like that experience slipped my mind, but then again the bracelets will lead me home again."

"Bracelets?"

She looked up at Sesshomaru and smiled toothily. "Why, yes. They are quite adorable, but when hold like this," she motioned with a nod to her hands behind her back," it's certainly uncomfortable to have them on."

Sesshomaru turned her around roughly, not letting her small hands out of his grasp as he took a closer look. Then two pair of hands covered his sight, the hands moving towards the girls.  
>He growled lightly at the interruption – <em>this is my track! – <em>but the look in the wolf's eyes silently told him to trust him.

Kouga, who had two hands and therefore was better of holding the strange-Kagome, took over the hold. Taking each arm in a firm grip under her elbows he separated them from the earlier position and glanced at her wrists.

There on each were identical bracelets; they looked like bleached black stone to Kouga's eyes. The only thing that made them different from each other was the stones imbedded in them; a bright red on her left wrist and a clouded white on her right.

"Hn." Sesshomaru rumbled as he stared with disgust at the bracelets. Those again. _Terrific_.

Kouga glanced at him, but knew the lord wouldn't share anything if he did not want to. Instead he lowered her arms and turned her around so he could face her again.

"I hope, wolf-boy, that it was only those adorable things you were checking out," she said with a broad grin.

"What are these… _things_?" he asked her sternly, not falling for her pout.

"Someone is bo-ring!" she sing-sang. "But to tell the truth, wolf and dog-boy, I haven't got the single clue."

Kouga coughed. "Dog-boy?" He glanced at the stoned expression on the demon lord's face. Priceless, but still scary that Kagome could be so blunt with everything.

"Well, he is a dog demon after all, isn't he? And in human years I think he would be around… eighteen?" she squinted at the demon lord, who sneered back at her. She grinned. "And at home, an eighteen year old is still considered a child. I find it quite strange that-"

"Kagome!" a child voice hollered and a sudden rush of red fur threw itself at the girl. Kouga and Sesshomaru turned to the direction from where the child had come from, and could see the remaining InuGang standing there. With the expectation of a crying Shippo and a rushing InuYasha.

"Kagome!" he barked when he landed in front of her. She grinned her now normal smile at him.

"InuYasha! You're late, idiot!" She smiled big at him, and the hanyou recoiled a little. His amber eyes were huge as they took in her appearance, those orbs almost bulging out of their eye sockets. Kouga felt his beast growl deep in his soul.

**Too close, too close! **

_Calm down!_

"K-Kagome? Is that you?" The hanyou asked while he sniffed the air around her.

"Oh! Another boy who knows his manners! How interesting, the Feudal Era is simply amazing! Though, I'm surprised that you would call me anything other than wench," she pouted at him. "Oh, well – I shouldn't complain, I guess."

Kouga peeked at the hanyou's face. The half-breed had his mouth slightly open, his eyes were stormy with confusion and anger. But in the depths of those pools of gold the wolf could see the pain and helplessness the hanyou was feeling. Kouga huffed quietly to himself; the half-bred hadn't looked like that before, not even when Kouga had first met Kagome. Could this reaction be because he knew exactly how hurt or damaged the girl really was?

"Little brother. What is the meaning of your coming here? Though I'm not surprised that you did, stubborn half-bred." The older brother looked exceptionally bored as he glared down his nose at the hanyou. Though, Kouga couldn't more than agree.

"Yeah, mutt. What do you know about all of this? Why is she in these – these – _belly dancer _clothes and what's the deal with the bracelets?"

The half demon snorted, glaring accusingly at the full blooded demons. "So these clothes aren't your doing then, mangy wolf? I guessed this was more to your taste."

"What?" The wolf sputtered, his cheeks coloring in anger and embarrassment. "Sure, I like it, but why would I want you damn males get a look at her too? It should be for my eyes only!"

"Hah? So you can molest her alone, is that it?" InuYasha was growing red in his face too, mostly from locked up anger but also from the accusation of looking at Kagome in those clothes. "Besides, this is way too much skin showing! Even though she ran around in that silly uniform of hers that showed so much leg, this is just too much!"

Kouga opened his mouth to retort but something at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Head turned and eyes ogling he stared with open mouth at the two by his side.

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><p>Hello y'all! Another chapter and this weeks news! Or something like that... hmm...<br>well, doesn't seem to be any news from here other than it has finally stopped snowing and the sun is shining, making the snow glitter as little jewels. It's... irritating.  
>Please Review!<p> 


	21. Chapter 20

**I don't own InuYasha. If I did, I wouldn't have to go to school. All right goes to Rumiko Takahashi.**

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><p>InuYasha saw how Kouga angrily opened his mouth to bark something at him, but then he stiffened and turned his head to his left, his mouth dropping open. InuYasha frowned in confusion and followed Kouga's gaze until he saw what Kouga was staring at. His own mouth dropped open and he felt how his blood drained from his face.<p>

"Kagome? What the hell?" he exclaimed horrified.

Someone else who was completely horrified was his brother. Sesshomaru sat, stiff as a plank, with a wriggling human girl in his lap. Somehow she had gotten her arms around his neck and landed in his lap without him noticing until it was too late. Now she was clinging to him like a koala.

"What? I haven't gotten a good cuddle in a long while. I want my weekly cuddle, you know?" The female snuggled her head deeper into Sesshomaru's chest, sighing in content. The demon lord stiffened further.

"Get her off of me." He bit out between clenched teeth. His only hand held a firm grip on her upper arm, ignoring the sound of protests from koala-Kagome.

"With pleasure," Kouga snarled alongside his youkai. He took hold under the girl's armpits and dragged her towards him. But she didn't bend. No, quite the opposite; the more Kouga dragged, the more she clung to the demon lord. She had gone so far as to take hold of him with her legs, which embarrassed everyone except herself.

"No! My cuddle! I need my cuddle!"

Sango couldn't resist in that moment; she started to giggle. The giggle soon became an outright roar of laughter, sitting on the ground with her hands clutching her sides as tears started running from her eyes. Miroku was not late to follow, but for a completely different reason it became clear as a slap stopped the struggling koala squad for a moment.

"Houshi-hentai!"

"More wants a cuddle?" Kagome asked cutely, grinning broadly.

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><p>The sun was peeking over the horizon, giving a last glance over the land before it would go to sleep. It cast a sleepy eye at the little group in the distance, but paid no further interest in what it saw as it continued to disappear.<br>Kagome was staring right back at it with such a dreamy expression that no one could imagine how there could ever be anything wrong with her. But from time to time she would mutter to herself, change her expression; angry, happy, laughing, crying. But mostly she had that dreamy expression, where she sat tied to a tree, hands tied at her back.

The little odd group consisting of two humans, three full-blooded demons and the hanyou were currently discussing their current situation with hushed voice, as if they were afraid Kagome would hear them and attempt an escape.

She snorted softly to herself; she may be trained as an assassin but she was also human. Humans couldn't break loose from ropes as easy as demons could. She shook her head sadly before she returned her gaze to the drooping sun, the normal dream displayed on her face.

_Let me out!_ She screamed. _Give me my body back!_

Kagome could practically feel the girl hammering at her cell's walls, kicking and punching all she could. Kagome smiled; the girl could always try, if she wanted to so badly.

_**Not yet,**_ she told her with, still the same malicious smile on her face. _**You've still got work to do.**_

_You mean _my_ body, you disgusting thing! Using my body like this, doing however you please! I'm ashamed! _Kagome snorted to herself; what, was the girl her mother? _And what was that for?_

_**Hmm?**_

_W-why were you- Sesshomaru, I was- No _you_ was- Sesshomaru-san? Why?_

She almost started laughing at the stammering. She should have done this _ages_ ago, when she first took this body. So much fun.

_**The clinging and the suffix you mean?**_

_Yes!_

Kagome got a pondering expression on her face. Frowning she let a feral smile grasp her features.

_**Because I felt like it.**_

_!_

_**Don't worry so much – it was just some fun~**_

_Fun? That was Sesshomaru! The great dog demon lord, son of InuTaisho! He could have killed me! Us!_

_**But he didn't, and wouldn't you like to know why?**_

… _why?_

_**Good girl. Because he **_**can't**_**.**_

_Why? _ She sounded confused, and really interested to that. _Why can't he? He didn't any problem before when he attempted to do so._

Kagome saw from the corner of her eye as the little fox brat, _Shippo_, trotted up to her side.

_**I will chat with you more later. Tudeluu~ **_

_Don't touch h-_

"Shippo!" She smiled widely at the kit, who stopped in his tracks and nervously stared at her. Kagome let her smile fade to that of a concerned one. Everything for the charade, she thought bitterly. "What's wrong, love?"

He continued to stare at her. Damn, what a piercing green gaze! Had she only been free she would have taken up one of her knives and-

"What is it, Shippo?" she asked instead, attempting to look confused and worried. "Is InuYasha bad again?"

The damned brat continued to stare at her, his eyes a little narrowed in thought. Then he took a deep breath.

"Why do you smell so weird?" he said, loud and clear. Kagome saw how the ears on InuYasha's head twitched in their direction.

She smiled hugely, but toned it down as the kit took a step back. Being a human could be so hard! How had the girl been able to handle it for fifteen years?

"How can I smell weird? I'm me," she said softly. Discreetly she sniffed at herself, and sighed depressingly. "Maybe because I haven't had a decent bath in a very long time?"

"They didn't let you bathe?" The child looked outraged. "Then I will hunt them down and let Mirkou suck them up in his Wind Tunnel!"

She smirked. Not of amusement but out of sarcasm. "Oh, I'm _sure_ you would be able to do that…"

The kit flinched. Kagome cursed herself for her own stupidity; of course Kagome wouldn't use _sarcasm_ when talking to a kid! No, she would be all smiling and gently and _soft_. Damn, how she hated _soft_. Reminded her of cat fur; all comfy and cute, if you didn't think about where the cat had been or with what it had cleaned itself with.

"I'm serious, Shippo. I'm sure you would be able to avenge me," she said with a much more gentle tone. She smiled then, not _her_ smile, the one she preferred, but the one Kagome used to have; showing little teeth and only a soft curve of her lips. She knew immediately when the kit relaxed; his shoulders dropped and he seemed to hunch a little more, as if he had just let go of a huge weight from his tiny hands.

"You've been gone so long that I had to take care of things back home!" he said, crossing his arms over his chest with a lecturing look on his face. "Miroku couldn't keep his hands in league even once a day, and when InuYasha came back he was all weak and stuff! You should have seen him; all powerless and bloody! If not for us he would still be lying somewhere in the forest."

Shippo feigned a weak hanyou by staggering in front of her, before falling to the ground. "Help… me…" he coughed, stretching his hand toward Kagome as if he was really begging for her help.

"Shippo."

A dangerous aura enclosed the two of them as InuYasha suddenly appeared behind the kit and grabbed the boy's tail. With a yelp Shippo was hauled up in the air, squirming and kicking at the assaulter, but this only resulted in the little demon to spin around and around, faster and faster.

"What was that about me being weak, brat?" the hanyou asked, malice dripping from his every word.

"Hey, let me down! I'm just a little kid; you can't treat me like this!" The words were brave, if not a little weird as the motion of the spinning muffled his words, but the look on the child's face made Kagome almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

InuYasha seemed to share her opinion. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do then, huh?"

The kit spun one final time before stopping, coming face to face with the chained Kagome, who had a little smile playing on her lips. Shippo hesitated; this was not his Kagome, his 'kaa-san. But he had to try at least.

"Kagome," he whimpered, big drips of tears rolling over his face. "Help me, 'kaa-san."

Kagome could have laughed there. If she had been herself she would have. This child, this weak _creature_, was begging her – _her _– for help. She felt how her eyebrow started to twitch. This weak, pathetic, non-important –

"InuYasha. Sit-"

The audible _thud_ filled the clearing, and Shippo's angry squeals as he bounced off to safety.

"-boy." She ended. After all, if she was _Kagome_ then she must _be _Kagome. It was also much more fun to tease the adults than the children. She nodded to herself. How could it ever be fun to mock a child that could do nothing to stop her, when by one word she could make this boy, this man, plunge into the dirt, and crawl where the hanyous is supposed to crawl?

"What did you do that for?" the hanyou shouted as he bounced up again, face almost as red as the garments he bore, only telltale splotches of grass and dirt coloring his face.

"Ah~, how I have missed doing that," she sighed with content, as she leaned back against the trees trunk, only to hiss as her arms took all of her weight on them. Damn, what did this girl really eat?

_Hey! That's rude!_

"Shut up," she said with a smile. Then she froze and slowly let her gaze rise to meet the golden horror of InuYasha. Damn, had she said that out loud?

"Kagome? Who are you talking to?" he asked, his ears slightly turned back.

Hastily she cast a look at the others; thankfully they didn't seem to had heard anything if their argument were anything to tell off. Even though this hanyou's brother did look at them… hmm.

"With you, of course, silly," she said with a slight laugh. "I really don't want to argue right now, you know? Besides, who else would I be talking to?"

He stared at her thoughtfully, which was really astonishing for Kagome – did he really think?, before he lowered his eyes and nodded. "Of course."

Kagome smiled brightly at him, before remembering her being Kagome. She softened it and smiled with her eyes closed at him. There; that should do the trick.

"InuYasha? Could you loosen the ropes a little? Or tie them in front? I can't sit that well, and my wrists are starting to hurt." She had her eyes closed for a while for a second or two before she opened them again, taking in the dumbfounded hanyou. Funny, when did he get such red cheeks?

"InuYasha?"

Her voice brought him out of his trance. What had he been doing until now? He stared at her and saw the kind look in her eyes, the gentle smile – the Kagome he knew and… liked? Yes, liked. His best friend.  
>He shook his head again and let his gaze wander down her throat to her shoulders. Following the arms he gazed at to where they ended behind her back, ropes tied tightly around her wrists. Damn, that would hurt if you had them on for too long. InuYasha could almost feel his own ropes, tied behind his back before they put a hook into the knot and lifted it, with him dangling from it like a worm on a nail. The sensation of your arms being bended against your will, in the wrong direction…<p>

He reached out for her, the only thought in his head Kagome being hauled up with the same treatment, her scream filling his ears. He would never let anyone do that to her.

Suddenly a clawed hand with strange markings gripped his wrist, all but throwing him back. Startled InuYasha let out an angry growl at the interference.

"Little brother, have you forgotten this wench's earlier escapades?" Sesshomaru stared down his nose at the hanyou.

InuYasha continued to growl warningly. "So? That doesn't mean she can't feel pain!"

Sesshomaru snorted and cast a short, but menacing, glare at the girl in question who seemed all but guilty. For now.

"You would believe this human, even though she has been captured for so long, even though she is not herself, even though she tried to kill me and your wolf companion?"

The younger brother scowled before ripping his hand from his brother's grasp. "Keh, whatever," he spat, casting an apologizing glance at Kagome before jumping off into a nearby tree.

Sesshomaru followed the hanyou with his gaze, before he turned his frosty gaze to the human miko. He could still feel the same electric shocks inside of him, not in his body, but in his soul. Somehow everything seemed to intensify when he was a distance away from the girl; far away he felt almost nothing, which pleased him in many ways. But this close he really could not feel anything.

"I do not know what you have done with this girl," he said frostily. He could see her shiver, from what he was not sure. "But," he continued, "I will find the answer in time."

She watched him stalk of, that long boa of his billowing in the slight breeze. Her heart was thumping, an unsteady beat against her ribcage. Was that her heart or was it Kagome's?

_**Got to keep an eye on that one**_, she thought.

_I will keep an eye on you_, came the non-expected answer.

_**Shut up.**_

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><p>Would you look at that! Chapter 20, finally! And soon this fanfic is passing the 30 000 words line! 8D<p>

Please review! Love to read what you think about it, and on how you think I can improve!


	22. Chapter 21

**Standard disclaimer. **Meaning, InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Story here and imaginary foes/friends (Haa Jinsoku, Aoi Kirei and so on) are mine. Please, do not use them!

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><p>Dawn came. It was another one of those awfully sunny days, when villagers worked their butts off for the little food and earnings they could get. A completely worthless day then.<p>

Kagome sighed heavily. Somehow, during the night, her hands had been rebound in front of her and she had gotten a blanket. Who and how she didn't know; whoever it was that person was awfully quiet and flick with his hands. If only she had been awake…

Well, it wasn't that bad; she had found that which she had been sent out to find. Now the only thing to do was to lure them in into a false safety, which she was pretty sure she could pull off – why else would she have been chosen for this job? The kit was under her spell now, which took less time than she had thought; the InuYasha boy was almost there, that blockhead. She had noticed almost immediately the way he had watched Kagome with that mixed expression of worry and fondness. Cute, but not quite her cup of tea. The human woman and man wasn't that far behind, but the male was somehow more… _aware_. That wasn't good – maybe she would have to silence him before he opened his mouth.

Tentatively she tested the ropes around her wrists. Someone had done a good job with these – but it was nothing she couldn't break free from. But not yet; she had to win the other's trust, even those full demon boys. But they would be a whole lot more difficult to tame, especially the tall dog demon. Kagome smiled at the thought. Not that she complained – she looked quite forward to it.

_Are you a sadist or a masochist? _The voice was so annoying and sudden that Kagome actually jumped. Then she took a deep breath and smiled tensely.

**Good morning to you too.**

_Whatever. So, masochist or sadist?_

She did think about it, but shrugged. "Both, I guess," she said softly as a sly smirk made its way onto her face.

"Both of what?" another, more male, voice asked.

She dropped her smile for a few seconds, before tuning it up into the Kagome-smile fashion. Turning her head slightly she gave the wolf boy a cute smile. "Oh nothing, really. I'm just… just so…" Sighing theatrically, she shrugged. "I guess I'm both tired and excited to be back, I guess."

_Lame excuse._

**Stuff it.**

The wolf, Kouga, tilted his head as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Huh," he finally said. "You hungry or something?"

Kagome smiled brightly at him, but then shook her head apologetically. "No, I'm not. But thank y-"

A low gurgle followed by a likewise low rumble coming from her made both of their eyes look at her stomach. When she looked up again she saw that his eyes were filled with laughter. "Not hungry, eh?"

She smiled stiffly. "Maybe I am a little hungry…" Though she couldn't understand why; she could live with so little like a few blooddrops. Then why did her body seem to crave other nourishments? She shook her head and smiled more lovably at Kouga, watching in satisfaction as his cheeks colored slightly. "I wouldn't mind some food… I hope I'm not bringing any trouble to you?"

He smiled boyishly back at her. "Of course not – you are my woman. It is my duty to take care of you." He nodded toward her and then ran off toward the camp.

Kagome sighed and laughed lightly. "Men. Why does it seem like they swarm around me like flies?"

-ooo-

InuYasha's wounds had healed by now; only pinkish marks were left on his skin from where those reptiles had hurt him. He frowned as he looked at his naked arm, flexing his fingers and bending his arm this way and that as to assess the damage. No stinging and no bleeding; no scars would be left by night.

Plopping down his arm and slowly treading his _kosode_ back on he frowned darker. The stinging he was feeling now couldn't be compared to those that had been on his body. InuYasha had _left_ her there, fully knowing that he couldn't go back and get her however much he wanted to. The pain of knowing that he had failed her was enough to relish in those days it had taken him to find the others.

"Hey, mutt. Take it easy with that, will you?"

Glaring daggers he ogled the wolf youkai that stood before him, arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. Then he looked down and saw that he had unconsciously been gripping one of the strange containers that Kagome used from her time to stack food in. The 'plastic', as she called it, was bent and cracked in places.

A memory surfaced; Kagome being chained to that damned wall when one of the reptiles had hit her for talking back. He hurried to release the container, as he shuddered slightly.

"You done?" Kouga asked as he went to retrieve the bent container. "Kagome is starting to get hungry, but I don't know what she is gonna say about… _this_." He demonstrated his thought by raising an eyebrow at the container, then flicking a quick look at the hanyou.

InuYasha only nodded before he rose to his feet slowly, taking Tetsusaiga in his hand and walking a few distances away. Stopping under a large tree he jumped up in it and sat down, attempting to think his thoughts in peace.

-ooo-

Being a great taiyoukai isn't always pleasant. Not if you had an irritating little brother that only was _half_; not when you had to be in the same company as a _wolf_; definitely not when you had to scent the disgusting odor of _ningens_.

Said taiyoukai was feeling restless. Sesshomaru hadn't felt "restless" in the least two hundred years of his lifetime, yet when he did it was insufferable. Gritting his teeth he refrained from starting to tap his hand against his knee; he would not let himself fall to the same level as his mutt-brother. The lord almost missed having Jaken around, if only to get the chance to throw a pebble at the creature.

He sighed through his teeth, looked up through the leaves which was growing from the tree he was seated in. It was enjoyable as he closed his eyes, only listening to the leaves whispering and scenting the greenery from the quiet forest – but then, that insufferable _smell_ assaulted him again. Irritation flooded him. Heck, he would have been happy with _Rin's _constant chatter.

Sesshomaru glared accusingly down at his temporary pack; the fox child was chatting happily with the demon slayer, who had the little neko-demon – Kirara – in her lap. She stroked the cat absentmindedly as she half listened to the kitsune, while carefully eyeing their surroundings. When her eyes met his they momentarily widened, before she nodded to him. He gave her a curt nod back.

The monk wasn't far away from the slayerness, Sesshomaru noticed. Which shouldn't surprise since the young man had time after time again sought the woman's… finer parts. The demon shuddered. And humans called his race animals.

His little brother was nowhere in sight – probably in another tree somewhere, keeping watch on his brother most likely. The taiyoukai almost snorted at the thought; if he, this Sesshomaru, had wanted to do anything to this pathetic pack of humans, then he would have done so earlier.

Taking a deep whiff he searched for the last of their odd group; a wild scent that reminded of fur, animals and forest. The wolf had been out of his sight for quite a while now – not that it worried Sesshomaru. One less dominant male would do this group good.

Another whiff and he found the other youkai. The wolf was sitting, cross-legged, and with his chin propped on his closed fist as he looked at the miko. Sesshomaru frowned as he looked closer. Why had the hormone-fueled boy decided to free the miko's hands? Was he blind for the dangers that she had posed to them before, or was the wolf simply oblivious to the fact that _something was wrong_ with her?

Sesshomaru knew he was glaring. It wasn't something he was unaccustomed to do; except using his claws and youki, his glare was a very effective weapon. The lord almost smirked as he saw the wolf tense and cautiously look around. But then he frowned as his vision clashed with the miko's.

Blue met gold. For a moment none of them moved, but then the miko – Kagome, was that what they called her? – smiled, lifted her hand and stroke a black tress behind her ear. His eyes widened. What was she attempting to do?

As if sensing his wonder the miko winked. _Winked_. If Sesshomaru wasn't wrong, which he never was, then that meant she was flirting with him. Or possibly teasing him. Whichever it was, it didn't please him. Not in the least.

He frowned darkly and leaned demonstratively back against the tree trunk, shot her another icy look, closed his eyes and relaxed. But even that was impossible as he found himself wondering about her intentions.

-ooo-

Kouga tensed. Something was watching him and by the feel of it, this something wasn't very happy. He straightened so he could look around without it being too obvious and let his eyes run over one end of the meadow, and then the next. Nothing other than Dog-Breath lounging in a tree. And he wasn't even _looking_ at Kouga.

He shook his head and turned back to face Kagome again, happily seeing her smile back at him. He had to say that he had been frightened when she came back and was so… _changed_. Kouga hadn't even recognized his intended mate. But now, right here, she was smiling her same kind smile as always. Maybe even _more_ kind than what it had been before?

"Does it taste good?" he asked, feeling his hope rise with every second. She looked up at him and smiled again. Heck, he sure hoped he would wake up every day and see those azure blue eyes laugh back at him.

Kagome licked her lips and plopped a red cherry into her mouth. "Want to try one?" she asked and showed the berry in her mouth.

Kouga shivered. "Kagome…" if she only knew how much he wanted to reach out, tread his fingers in her thick black mane and plant his lips on those that she was smiling back at him with. He had to clench his fist not to do just that.

"Just kidding," she laughed softly, chewing slowly. Mirth played in her eyes as she looked up at me, before she let her gaze fall to the tray of food before her.

He swallowed. "I-I know that," he muttered. Kouga fixed his eyes on her delicate hands that he had freed; only for the need of getting herself feed, nothing else. However, he had instead bound Kagome around her stomach and then around the tree. Being a wolf youkai didn't mean that he wasn't careful.

"So, um… Kagome"

She looked up expectantly, head slightly tilted, eyes large and innocent. So irresistibly beautiful, like a young doe. Almost as delicious looking too. Kouga licked his lips.

"Um... I was just wond-"

"Take cover!" The monk's shrill voice snapped Kouga out of his dilemma. Quick as only he was he jumped, spun in the air and landed with his feet firmly planted beneath him, standing protectively in front of Kagome.

"What is it?" he shouted, cursing himself for not trusting his earlier senses.

"Company!" the monk managed to shout from his right, standing equally protective by Sango's side. The woman didn't acknowledge him; she stood in a battle stance with the heavy boomerang slung over her shoulder. Her cat companion became engulfed in flames for a moment before it turned into its more fearsome larger form.

Sesshomaru suddenly blurred to stand beside them, though somewhat aside. His half-brother soon joined them, his sword transformed and held at the ready. Then none of them moved.

-ooo-

It was way too quiet. InuYasha suppressed a shudder and stared at the dark forest in front of him, while his ears swiveled on top of his head. He was used to sound; crying, screaming, Shippo. This quietness was unsettling and made him want to twitch all over.

When glancing at Sango, Miroku and Sesshomaru he couldn't tell if they had the same feeling. But then again, Miroku had always stared death in the eye; Sango was even trained not to show anyting. Sesshomaru was just a creepy bastard, with that indifferent mask.

A muscle under his eye twitched. Seconds went by. Chancing a glance behind him he saw the wolf standing at the ready. Although he had a cocky expression on his face, it was easy to tell that he had the same feeling as InuYasha. The half-demon almost snorted – finally, something they had in common. Now wouldn't _that_ please Kagome?

Suddenly he heard something. Something very faint, but if his ears heard right it was feather light footsteps, coming in their direction. Hearing a soft rumble coming from his right he glanced and saw his brother look back at him. So the bastard had also heard something then?

The footsteps stopped; as if whatever it was contemplated if it was wise to continue walking. InuYasha smirked and tightened his hold of Tetsusaiga. The bastard could always try getting by him.

Seconds ticked away. Growing very anxious and edgy InuYasha thought of the clock he had destroyed for Kagome; _tick-tock, tick-tock_. Every second now the warning bell would go off and all hell would break loose – at least if he remembered that moment correctly.

His ears twitched and turned in the direction of mangy-wolf and Kagome. Her ropes were sounding awfully loud, weren't they? As if grinding together or-

A yelp, that was so unexpected that he jumped high. When coming down again and twirling in place he saw the wolf lying face-down on the ground, unconscious and with a nauseating gash in his forehead. Blood trickled down his face and started pooling around him.

Dreading what he would see InuYasha looked at Kagome, who was smiling like a Bird of Paradise.

"You didn't really think that I would ever submit, did you?" she cackled. Sweet Kagome was _cackling_. "My mission is to _kill_ the lot of you."

She squirmed against the ropes, and suddenly they broke free. InuYasha couldn't help but stare at the red marks around her wrists and arms. Had those mainly been by their ropes?

Then he heard that rustle again, and the one person he had hoped to never see again, or at least kill, stepped around the tree. The person smiled cheerfully at them, bent over and lifted Kagome into his arms. She cuddled close to him and caressed his cheek with her palm.

"Hi love," Haa Jinsoku said.

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><p><strong>Duun, duun, duuuuun! Finally I'm back with a new chapter! And <strong>_**finally**_** I'm kinda getting somewhere with it! Sorry about the **_**ridiculously **_**long delay; I've been busy with exams tests (Swedish – A! Yay! And, yes, I'm swede. Math I've probably failed big time on… give me cookie if I have?), I've focused on my other story Stray Dog (which are kinda hard to write at the moment. Who knew that a story I only wrote when being bored would be so hard?) and my cat died. My brother has moved. AND my mom has sugar sickness (socker sjukan in Swedish). So, she can't eat candy. EVER. And le kitten was killed by the way. Probably a fox or something. That makes me seriously consider getting a hunting license.  
>How do you think about Haa Jinsoku and Kagome? Cute? Maybe? I don't know; I feel that this can turn kinda creepy soon. Or really fluffy since I'm trying to get some kind of foursome in here! 8D<strong>

**Please Review!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha**

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><p>Haa Jinsoku made a show of caressing Kagome's arm with the hand he was holding her with. The other hand he had snaked around her waist in a protective manner. He smiled down at her and leaned the side of his head onto hers, smiling charmingly at the shocked mix of humans and demons before him.<p>

"Love, have you been giving these people a hard time?" he asked, his hand wandering up her arm and then down again slowly, almost in an absentminded way. The mischievous look in his eyes however made Sesshomaru doubt that.

The girl giggled and raised her hand to touch the reptile demon's long pale green hair. "Maybe a little?"

Haa Jinsoku smiled and nuzzled his nose into her hair, his eyes only slits as he watched the others intently. "Good girl," he murmured, earning another giggle out of Kagome.

"What the hell?" InuYasha finally blurted, exclaiming the other's thoughts in one sentence.

Sesshomaru glanced at his half-brother, eyebrow partly raised at his brother's language, before staring intently at the – as he assumed – _couple_ before him. Kagome tsked and shook her finger at the hanyou.

"Language, InuYasha. There are children here." Then she giggled again, covering her mouth as she did.

Seeing that the hanyou was sputtering for words, Sesshomaru opened his mouth, turned to the snake demon. "Explain," he demanded coolly.

"Is there any need for explaining something when you can see with your own eyes?" Haa Jinsoku tilted his head on top of Kagome's, hugging her to him lightly. "Is it such a surprise to find love even as enemies?"

"That's just it!" The tajiya suddenly uttered. Her voice was trembling with barely contained anger, but she still managed to get her words out without hurling herself at the green haired demon. "She has been weird ever since she got back! Frightening the children, attacking us. And," she continued, a pointed look traveling over her male companions, "seducing _them_, which our Kagome would never do!"

The snake smiled sadly. "Figured it out then, did you?"

The young woman snorted. "Well, you obviously did something with her, though I don't know what."

Sesshomaru frowned. The way the miko behaved had indeed been disturbing, and quite so for him since he preferred the image the miko had had before this… incident. The most irritating concern though was that something was ticking in the back of the taiyoukai's mind, something that told him that he recognized this particular change in personality. But what was it? Something so simple, so utterly normal in demon terms…

The miko made a sound at the demon slayer; something between a hiss and a laugh. "Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. For all I know, I feel great!" She laughed, turning quickly to face the snake demon at her side. Then she astonished everyone once more by peeking him on his lips.

The older of the dog brothers was so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed the wolf demon move forward. "You- Kagome, what are you doing?"

Sesshomaru vaguely calculated that soon someone would either get his heart ripped out, in the literature sense, or someone would really get his or her heart ripped out of his – or hers – ribcage. Seeing the wolf's tightly clenched fists he opted for the latter.

The girl only smiled back at the poor wolf, shoving an awful lot of teeth; it twisted her face into something not quite ningen.

Then it came to him, fast and just as startling like a bucket of cold water. The taiyoukai almost got the impulse to facepalm himself of the obvious answer. The electricity that had startled him, the girl's behavior, the bracelets…

Looking at the girl, he asked the question which would prove him right. "As the Lord of the Western Lands I command Thee to reveal your true name." He stared into her shocked eyes sternly, not breaking eyecontact.

Of course, his brother interfered. "The heck are you blubbering about? That's _Ka-go-me_; anyone can see that! What 'true name'? Have you finally lost it?" The hanyou snorted loudly, but when receiving no answer from the taiyoukai he grumbled loudly before opening his mouth for a new flood of insults.

"My name…" the girl known as Kagome began, swaying slightly in Haa Jinsoku's embrace as the snake demon tried to steady and break her eyecontact with the demon lord. Sesshomaru smiled, knowing that such a task was impossible once the contact had been made. He felt the same electricity in his belly start to build up, but ignored it.

"My name…" she said once more, slowly as if trying to remember. "My name… is Tsukie."

A collective gasp sounded from his temporarily companions, InuYasha's the most audible as he sputtered and cursed under his breath. Sesshomaru smirked, but never broke his eyecontact with Ka- no, Tsukie.

"What are you, Tsukie?" he asked gently, imagining that he was peeling the skin off of an orange.

"I- I-" Tsukie gasped, wide blue eyes staring into his golden ones. If he didn't imagine things, he was sure that the strange movement from the corner of his eye was her hands flexing and twitching over and over, almost like the aftermaths of an addiction. Probably fighting his hold.

"_What_ are you, Tsukie?" he asked again, more firmly this time. The orange had a strong skin, but even the most stubborn of fruits could be eaten.

"I- I am- you and them. I'm what you hear and see, yet something you cannot touch or taste." Tsukie rambled, her eyes growing impossibly larger as she let go of the fight. Her shoulders dropped and her head straightened so she could look straightly at him.

Haa Jinsoku stood by her, not knowing what to do, only that he had to see this through. Sesshomaru could read the expression, even as the demon lord was holding his eyecontact with Tsukie.

"I can only live if someone dies, but cannot live if someone else is alive. The moon which are my sun, and the branches which are my connection to this world must stand together when creating the bond between me and my host." Kagome – or rather, Tsukie – spoke tonelessly. The lord could see her fighting for control again, and to his own rage could feel his grip over her slip.

"What is your bond to this host?" he asked hurriedly, narrowing his eyes in hopes that it would somehow be stronger.

"That- _That- __**That-**_"she stammered. Then the girl blinked rapidly and a frown appeared on her forehead, before a vicious smiled spread over her face. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth – he had lost his hold.

Tsukie turned the miko's clear blue eyes to him and pouted, wagging a finger at him. "Tsk, little Perfection. You naughty boy – you can't _make_ a woman tell you all of her secrets, you know? Not even my sweet little Jin-Jin knows everything about me." She reached behind her and, finding the reptile demon there, slid her hand up to his chin where she gently patted him.

Haa Jinsoku looked, for all that had occurred the past minutes, lightly shaken but nonetheless smiled playfully down at her as he snaked an arm of his own around her waist. "I do like surprises," he murmured. Tsukie giggled.

Sesshomaru cringed slightly. Had it been any other creature – or even this miko, had she not been possessed – the sound would have been pleasant. Now though it made him want to cough loudly. And Sesshomaru never coughed in public, which held a lot of meaning to the situation.

"Ew!" a child voice screeched, voicing the gang's thoughts exactly. The fox kit ran forward and jumped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder, pointing a little clawed finger at the couple before them. "Why did you take my mama's body for? She hasn't done anything to you!"

Jinsoku and Tsukie stared at the little kit before they both erupted into laughter. "Little kitsune, this was not really my plan, per se. I have been dead for more than twenty years," Tsukie in Kagome's body tittered. "But then this handsome little reptile found a way to give me life again."

The reptile demon snickered as he buried his nose in Kagome's hair. "What wouldn't I do for my family?" His voice came out muffled.

"Wait just a goddamn minute," InuYasha growled form Sesshomaru's side. Glancing at his brother he noticed anger in the boy's face that clearly resembled that of the wolf's. "_Family_?"

Kagome/Tsukie glanced at the hanyou before giggling again and stroke Jinsoku's cheek. "Jin-Jin, you didn't tell? Now that's a naughty boy, not introducing me properly." She bereted him in a giddy tone. Sesshomaru suspected that the soul wasn't very mad at that though – if anything, the annoying creature seemed more gleeful and crazed than what she had appeared when she stood before him and the Wolf Prince. Thankfully, he wasn't the one being goala-hugged this time.

"My apologies," Jinsoku murmured, finally lifting his face out of Kagome's raven mess, causing both InuYasha and Kouga to relax their stances. "Nee-san, this is my lord's attacker and his accomplices. Rumor has it that they are searching for the Shikon no Tama."

"Nee-san?" The stoic western lord questioned, ignoring the looks of shock on the pack InuYasha traveled with.

"Onee-_sama_, for you," The woman remarked. "Still, it was my mate you tried to kill~"

"You are that pest's mate? But you are clearly dead since a long time ago," Sesshomaru murmured, raising a delicate brow. "How is it that you still consider yourself his mate, and why is it that you let your brother swarm around you in such a manner?"

"Now, aren't you becoming the talkative one?" Tsukie snaked out of Jinsoku's embrace, and took several steps towards the dog demon. Stopping a few feet from him she smiled toothily. "I should have revealed myself sooner!"

He stared back at her with a blank look. "Explain."

Tsukie got a pondering expression on her face as she brought up a hand to tap at her cheek. "Hm? Nah, I don't really feel like it. Memories are bad, you know? Making you live in the past and reveal old sorrows and heartbreaks. Though I do like a good breaking of a heart, don't you dear brother?" She glanced over her shoulder at Jinsoku who smiled sweetly back at her.

"Of course, nee-san. There's no such thing more enjoyable than ripping a still beating heart out of someone's chest – though if I do recall correctly you w-"

"Will you _shut up_!" Sesshomaru cringed at his brother's loud voice. Really, who had he inherited that from? "Leave Kagome alone or I swear to God I will kill you both!"

"… dear boy. Little stupid InuYasha – if you kill my brother I will come after you, and since I'm in this body you can't kill me, right?" For once the possessed miko didn't have a laugh imprinted on her features. Instead she sported dead-seriousness that could have equaled Sesshomaru's own. Only that, no one was equal to Sesshomaru. However it was, InuYasha's screeching ceased and settled for huffing instead. Sesshomaru felt slightly grateful for the ghost's quick success in silencing the fool.

"Please," a new voice spoke up. Not caring to turn to see the demon slayer take a careful step forward, Sesshomaru fingered the hilt of Tokijin. "Please, if you are in Kagome's body – are you also _with _Kagome?"

That made the lord cast a look at the brunette, watched her large worry-filled eyes and her fidgeting hands, before he once more faced the demon and possessed miko.

"The _hell_, Sango?" his half-brother cussed.

The woman ignored him and her tentative steps brought her closer to the front, until she stood by Sesshomaru's other side. "Please, if she's still there – can you let her talk to us, so we can know she's okay?"

Tsukie gazed at the slayer thoughtfully, with the same expression a cat could get when watching an interesting insect. "Brother," she then chirped," I believe this is going in our favor after all." Glancing at the slayer she smiled again – not her own smile this time, but a much kinder one that held warmth in it. "Just one moment – this is going to feel slightly ticklish to me."

The group watched the girl close her eyes, take one, two, three deep breaths – and then she fell into a heap on the ground, flailing and flapping like a fish on dry land.

-ooo-

It wasn't really the coziest thing Kagome had ever experienced before. The feeling of being dragged through a swamp and then through sharp rocks wasn't something she or anyone she knew referred to as 'cozy'. Then again, being stuck in a body that was being controlled by an icky spirit that loved male company, who used Kagome's body to seduce and irk those around her… yuck.

So she was grateful when she opened her eyes – _her own eyes!_ – and saw the blue sky overhead. Not really the most impressive thing to see, but being forced to see such things that Tsukie made her see…

Coughing roughly she slowly sat up, wincing slightly as a headache made itself known. She was however grateful for that to – the simple possibility of feeling something again! And the air – it had never smelt fresher than that moment. Not even her first journey to the Feudal Era could compare! Then she winced and began rubbing at her pulsing temples. A short joy, this headache.

"Oh, man," she muttered and felt a slight joy at being able to use her own real voice again. Opening her eyes the young woman glanced around her at the other occupants, which were staring down at her; shock and confusion – and a flat look from Sesshomaru – met her blue orbs. She smiled carefully, fully expecting her face to crack like dry mud.

"Hi, guys," she spoke. Then all hell broke loose.

Shippo and Kirara were the first ones to throw themselves at her, crying and mewling after another. Then Sango fell to her knees by Kagome's side and hugged the girl close to herself, both crying as they hugged each other.

Kouga went next, practically breaking her hands as he held them close. "Woman, do you know how worried we was?" he growled. Then he embraced her himself, and took the opportunity to smell her. The clean scent of strawberries and forest twirled into his nose, which caused him to sigh in content. _It's really her_.

Suddenly the wolf was yanked away from the silently crying girl. InuYasha threw the wolf over his shoulder in an unceremoniously heap, without looking at the protesting demon. He only had eyes for the girl before him, who equally only had eyes for him. Sitting down in front of her he twitched his nose, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Kagome found herself thinking of her dad, how he would look when tasting a wine he just had bought.

The hanyou opened his eyes, gold glittering strangely. "Hey," he muttered. As if that was her cue, she hurled herself at him, crying and sobbing loudly, not caring in the slightest that she was staining his hitoe or that she was being a baby. She didn't care that his half-brother was staring flatly, that she had Haa Jinsoku at her back or that she must seem utterly pathetic. Finally she could touch something again, she could finally feel warmth and the grass tickling her legs, smell InuYasha's puppy-scent and Shippo's sweet carrot aroma. And now she could also feel the strain her fingers were taking from gripping InuYasha's back too tightly. Regretfully she loosened her grip and leaned back, taking deep breaths in weak attempts of ceasing her sobbing, while at the same time wiping her cheeks, painfully aware of her hanyou gazing at her intently.

"W-what have I missed?" she joked weakly, trying and failing miserably at smiling.

"Oh, Kagome," Sango cried, brushed InuYasha aside and hugged the girl again.

"Kagome-sama, you had us quite worried there," Miroku said, flinching at the dirty look Sango shot him. "But I'm nonetheless glad that you are back with us and that you are unharmed."

The girl sniffled and hugged Sango more fiercely, almost desperate. "But I'm not unharmed." She looked up at the males, minus Sesshomaru's, questioning gazes. "She shares my _soul_; knows everything I've ever done, my emotions – everything! How can I not be hurt?" She buried her face in Sango's shoulder.

Miroku blanched as heated glares bore themselves into him. "I didn't mean any harm!" he defended himself, hands outstretched in surrender.

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><p>Ack! Hated this chapter, but hated chapters are chapters too o.o<p>

And sorry for such a late update .

Are focusing solely on _Stray Dog_ at the moment, and coming up with new fanfictions o.o

I _will_ update this one too, and be done with it!

... just don't know when or how often.


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha characters. Only the made up characters in this fanfic (such as Hebi Otoko, Hebi Hisu, Ha Jinsoku and Tsukie are mine. Paws Off! Thank you!)**

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><p>A good whacking of Miroku and some time later, Kagome had explained her situation with this Tsukie that now infested her body. Apparently Tsukie was rather kind, but also enjoyed the hunt and the kill, something that InuYasha and the gang had seen with their own eyes earlier on. Kagome also said, rather sadly, that she herself had no control over the change between Tsukie and herself – all of that was left to the long since deceased demoness.<p>

"Apparently, her mate thought it would be fun to use her spirit in me against you," the miko murmured, biting gladly into an apple. She let the flavor explode on her tongue, not being able to feel it for so long.

Miroku, sporting a black eye and an apparent handprint on his cheek, looked up. "If she don't mind me asking… as well as you, lord Jinsoku," he nodded to the demon sitting some paces away, "what was the cause of Tsukie's demise?"

Kagome closed her eyes, and moved her lips silently – almost as if she was speaking with somebody, which caused shivers running down the present people's spines. Except Haa Jinsoku's, who only smiled merrily, fingering a leaf in his left hand. Sesshomaru stared blankly up at the sky, following the clouds movements.

"She doesn't take offence," Kagome spoke suddenly, opening her blue hues, "and can tell you. But I seriously don't appreciate her sense of humor," she muttered and cast a blaming look on Jinsoku.

"Not my fault, Cherie – she's my big sister."

Kagome huffed. "You just tell yourself that. Either way… oh God, that's terrible!"

"What is?" Shippo, sitting in the priestess' lap, asked.

She shook her head, while softly petting her adoptive son's reddish tresses. "No… I don't want to… Tsukie! I'm talking to you!" The girl suddenly shouted.

Seeing her companions raised eyebrows she flushed. "Sorry. She can be real perverse at times."

"Still not my fault," Jinsoku yawned. Kagome sent the demon a glare, but didn't retort back. With a huff she returned to petting her son with more vigour, causing an amused smile to sprawl across Jinsoku's face. _'Bastard'._

_Sweetheart, that's my brother you are thinking about,_Tsukie said, sounding amused.

_**Must run in the blood then**_**, **Kagome thought, barring her teeth. Her companions shared worried glances with eachother but didn't say anything.

_Technically, it is _your_ blood, honey._

"Shut up," she mumbled.

Kagome felt heavy gazes on her. Looking up she found her friends oogling her, except for Sesshomaru of course. Looking around she frowned. Wait a minute…

"Where did Sesshomaru go?" she asked.

The others looked around as well, shrugging as they saw nothing. "Keh, who cares where that piece of dog dung goes?" InuYasha huffed and crossed his arms. As he did he winced slightly.

"InuYasha!" Kagome shot up from her seat, sending the fox kit tumbling out of her lap. Gently she grasped the silverhaired male's clawed hand, carefully tugging it away. "When did you get hurt?"

He snorted, but couldn't quite hide the blush her closeness caused him. "Hmph. Ask Tsukie's little brother over there," he muttered darkly.

"Jinsoku?" she murmured, glancing over at the reptile demon, before trying to look into her best friend's eyes. For some reason though he was looking away from her. Kagome frowned and pouted. _'Fine. Sure. The normal 'I'm not hurt' act.'_

"Well… the dog simply wouldn't lie down," Jinsoku said, gazing down at his deadly claws. Biting into one, he sneered at InuYasha. "A remarkable guard dog, I must say. He is well-trained."

"You little-!"

"Temper, temper, little puppy," the reptile taunted, wagging a finger at the half demon.

Kagome sighed exasperated, running a hand through her wild tresses. Her own brother could be a pest at times, but she sure hoped he would never become anything like Jinsoku.

_Now, that's not very nice,_ her "inner" voice scolded her, though she could clearly distinguish the amusement rolling off the host.

Ignoring her, Kagome glared at Jinsoku. "Whatever you did it's in the past now."

"Kago-"

"But," she continued as though she hadn't heard the hanyou's protest, "nothing alike will happen again, alright?" Not expecting an answer she turned her attention to Inuyasha. "Now, where is the wound?"

The gruff male huffed, looking away from her. "What wound? I don't have any."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, before she poked the hanyou's stomach. The reaction was immediate as the male whined and flinched away from her.

"No wound, huh?" she muttered.

"Kagome-sama, if I may be so bold as to interrupt," Miroku chimed in before she could assault the hanyou anymore. When he got her attention, he continued, "As much as I find it amusing to watch you and InuYasha grabble with each other, isn't the danger at hand of more importance? Such as why Tsukie now is in your very petite body, or of the nature as to why she and her brother are currently here with us, not yet attempting to cause us any harm."

The clearing was quiet for a moment. "Well," Jinsoku spoke up, yawning yet again, "I only really follow my sister; where she goes, I goes, what she do, I do." He chuckled, running a hand through his greenish hair. "Then again, I knew she would be pouting if I followed her in death. So I decided to use my 'Master' to summon my sister back to my side."

_Good boy_.

"Hmm…" Kagome mumbled, looking at Jinsoku with narrowed eyes. "Then, what was it that your master wanted with us?"

"With _you_, stupid." More than one pair of eyes turned dumbfounded to stare at the hanyou. "Me, they only pounded the living crap outta me."

Kagome let out a strangled gasp, whereas InuYasha only huffed and poked her head roughly. "I'm still alive, _ba-ka_. No one can really kill me, ya know."

Jinsoku snorted. "Not yet, yes. But if my master gets what he wants then you just might. Tell me, do you prefer cherry blossoms or the occasional red roses on your funeral?"

"You bastard!" InuYasha jumped up, teeth bared, as he tried staring the calm demon down. "Who is to say it's _my_ funeral, huh?"

The demon sneered while looking the hanyou up and down, before settling on the golden eyes. "Apparently, yours."

"What the h-?" The boy began, but suddenly his knees gave out and he fell forward, about to fall over Kagome. In the nick of time Jinsoku sped across the short distance, grabbed the girl and let the hanyou fall face first onto the awaiting ground.

Kagome stared at the fallen hanyou for a minute, noticing his still breathing form, before glancing at Jinsoku who was gazing down at her with a smile. "T-thank you."

"Hm. This position seems oddly familiar, does it not?" he murmured against her throat, holding her waist with his hand on her stomach, the other gently holding her hand. She blushed furiously as a shiver went through her body, before she launched herself away from him. He laughed loudly, but then had to jump back as a furious wolf kicked out at him.

"The hell do ya think ya're doing, creep?" Kouga barked, sending a cloud of dust up and around him as he drew his foot in a wide circle around him with the force of his strength. Only hearing laughter at his expense, he growled and turned to Kagome. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She laughed nervously, gently swatting his hands away as he tried to cup her face in his calloused hands. "N-no! I'm fine, Kouga-kun." Clearing her throat – and ignoring the flash of hurt in Kouga's brilliant blue hues – she looked up at Jinsoku sitting in the tree he had been lounging against, and raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I would also like to know how I got into this mess of yours."

"Ah. Then, cherie, you will get disappointed," Jinsoku said. He let a leg jingle down from the branch as he grasped a leaf in his hand. The demon actually sounded apologetic, Kagome noticed with a frown. "My master's word is absolute; his orders binds His kin to absolute obedience."

"Then, why are you disobeying him now?" Sango inquired.

"You've got keen eyes, flower," Jinsoku murmured, winking at the woman and causing her to blush lightly. He chuckled at the suspicious look the monk sent him. I'm not technically disobeying; he only told me to 'look after' Kagome while she was on her 'mission'. She was not to get hurt, or killed in that matter." He shrugged. "He never said I had to kill you lot on sight."

_And since I am dead, he can't command me to anything_. Tsukie sounded very pleased with herself as though being dead was a good thing. Kagome frowned thoughtfully at that, but nonetheless relayed the words to the others, seeing their expressions as well. Except InuYasha's of course, since he still was being acquainted with the dirt.

"Why Tsukie?" Shippo voiced, tilting his head with a paw on his chin in thought. "I mean, if she is his mate, wouldn't he rather have her close than away on killing rampages?"

_I like that boy. Irritating, but cute,_ Tsukie murmured, laughing. _Say this to him, little girl…_

-ooo-

To be a great lord, you have to know when to leave, how to leave and why you are leaving. To be a good lord you have to know at least two of those aspects, and an okay lord you have to know one.

Right now, Sesshomaru felt like a no-good-excuse, as he had fled the battlefield. Or rather, that miko. Ever since her return something had felt weird in his chest, in his stomach. Electric shots through his being, clenching his only fist at the sensation. Not in agony or pain, which was a fact that frightened him the most, but the simple detail that he… felt _good_. A good sensation, that almost sent him into a killing rampage. Such as the one he was on now, trying to get some steam out of his system.

He eyed the disgusting lower demon before him, seeing how defenseless it was against him. Of course, what did he suspect really? Sesshomaru was a daiyoukai – nearly none other than the Gods could defeat someone like him. Not deeming it worth his poisonous whip, he sliced the beast in half, basking in the agonizing screech that quickly turned into a gurgling.

The action of slaying was meant to release steam, yet it somehow made it _grow_; sensing those electric shots run up and down his spine, which in turn made his blood boil, whether in rage or fear he wasn't sure. Why was it that such a simple act like slaying those below himself would make him feel this way.

'_Maybe father's lessons did have some worth in them.'_ Because he _knew_ this feeling, having heard of it from his great and terrible father. But the details...

With a snarl he jumped over the carcass before him, running on tree branches and slicing away leaves from interfering with his person. _'Father, what is happening with me?'_

A tug at his soul, trying to drag him in the other direction. He would never admit it, but it hurt not to answer the call. Why was it that he, the great Sesshomaru who was lord over the Western Lands, was in pain when he had no mortal wound? If only he could remember…

Letting out a frustrated growl, he summoned his youki-infused cloud and sprinted away, desperately fighting the urge to turn tail and turn back.

-ooo-

"He killed her?"

Kagome nodded, feeling oddly sad at the thought. Tsukie wasn't the most agreeable person and she could be quite… suggestive, to say the least, but the deceased demon didn't deserve such a fate. "Yes. Apparently, Hebi Otoko killed her in a ceremony in order to overtake his father's throne. Which _apparently_ didn't work as well as he thought." The young miko paused as if listening. Then she nodded slowly, looking at the others with tear-filled eyes. "When doing that ceremony you needed to offer your one true love – to become the strongest, you have to offer your strongest emotion. Since both Tsukie and Otoke had an arranged marriage, with no love whatsoever, it was impossible for it to work."

"But why you, Kagome?" Sango asked dully, glaring at her hands as if blaming them for her friend's current situation.

Kagome smiled softly, feeling the angry yet caring aura Sango was radiating. "Because I'm the Shikon no Miko, of course. I'm strange that way, aren't I?" She smiled cutely, earning hesitating smiles from the group. All but one.

"It ain't right," InuYasha huffed, having resurrected from his kissing-session with mother earth. He crossed his arms over his chest, but was careful to do it tentatively this time, not wanting another embrace from the cold earth.

Kagome snorted and smirked at him. "It never is, InuYasha. We, all of us here, know it better than anyone."

At that he could only grumble and hang his head. Sang had lost her whole tribe; Mirkou had a curse that had been with his family for three generations; Shippo, his father and earlier on his mother. Even the wolf had lost many of his brethren, both before and after the Jewel. Hanging his head lowed so his bangs shadowed his eyes he sighed. He himself had lost his love Kikyou and his mother, had never met his father and had a half-brother that hated him. Peeking through his locks to see Kagome speaking solemnly with Sango, he sighed. And Kagome had lost the life she once knew, having to lie to the other side's persons about what she was doing. She had lost her normal life, only to live in danger.

Completely lost on the dark thoughts her friend were having, Kagome nodded. "Of course, it can also be out of spite or something. Hebi Otoko was about to kill me, but didn't succeed. Maybe he thought this would be fun?"

Jinsoku laughed outright, almost falling off his seat up in the tree. "He _didn't_ kill you? My lord must have had one hell of a day for that to happen!"

_So did you, if your memories serve you right_. Tsukie sounded oddly bored. _Your little brother's birthday, the wolf's tickling-attack – _Kagome blushed heavily –_and… oh._

"What is it?" Kagome asked out loud, not really caring that the other's sent her questioning looks.

_You really don't remember? My mate, holding you pinned below him, while he bit into your legs and inserted poison? _Tsukie's huff oddly sounded like InuYasha, not that Kagome would tell either of the parties that. Tsukie continued, _And then he was thrown away from you and you gazed up into the most lovely of gold? Surely, that is a _huge_ hint!_

**Not really. I don't know of anyone that would want to save me, other than InuYasha-**

_I am telling you, girlie, _Tsukie cut her off_, that there is one other person that has such eyes. And boy, is he handsome!_

**I don't-**

"Kagome is pretty scary when she's talking with Tsukie like that," Shippo whispered from the spot on Sango's shoulder he had claimed after being thrown off Kagome's lap. Absentmindedly he played with the slayer's long ponytail, letting the tresses slide through his small paws as he stared at his surrogate mother's strange expressions.

"I hear you," Sango murmured back, blinking owlishly as Kagome took on a confused expression, before getting a heavy blush and then furrowed eyes and bared teeth. It was worse than when she was angry at InuYasha.

Unbeknownst to Kagome and Tsukie of their onlookers hushed talk, they continued to argue.

_How can someone __**be**__ this dense! _Tsukie exclaimed. _And I thought the half-puppy was way up his ass – you are almost worse!_

**Don't **_**talk**_** like that about him! So rude! **Kagome hissed back. After a pause she added, a little gentler than before, **But you're right – he is a little thickheaded about things.**

_Yes, yes, I know. Your memories from that cell? _The miko felt rather than heard Tsukie tsk in the young girl's mind. _Poor baby, that was harsh._

**That. Are. Private. Now I'm done speaking with you.**

_Hey! Don't you want to know who Gold-Eyes is?_

**It will come in time.**

_Den-i-al! _Tsukie sing-sang. Earning no answer from the girl, the deceased demon sighed. _Hey…_

Kagome sighed, looked up and suddenly saw the other's staring at her. Blushing furiously, she gave a tight laugh. "A-ha-ha! Hrm, well… ha-ha!" At the looks on her friends' faces, that differed from 'Does she have a fever?' to 'What the hell has been gnawing on her brain?', she gave another forced laugh. "Just, you know, talking with Tsukie?"

Reluctant nods, a gruff reply from InuYasha –"Damn wench, always doing unnecessary things" – and a sort of giggle coming from Jinsoku – funny, she couldn't remember him laughing this much before her new experience as a host – before she nodded to herself and closed her eyes. **What?**

Silence. Then a small twitter, before Tsukie asked. _Want to know why Sesshomaru can't hurt you – us – now? You are __**so**__ going to love it!_

Kagome listened with an indifferent face, before she shot up, standing on trembling legs and screaming, "What?"

Her outburst caused the others to jump slightly, all staring up at her.

"The hell, Kagome?" InuYasha barked.

Hearing his voice and seeing him sitting there caused another blush to seep into her face, covering every centimeter, up to her ears and traveling down her chest. The young miko blushed furiously, before she slapped herself harshly.

"Jinsoku," she called.

"Here, cherie."

Looking up at the amused demon she squirmed uncomfortably. "Ano… what does it mean if... a demon gave you of his blood?"

Elegant pale-green eyebrows rose. "Between men? Nothing other than some sort of bond of brotherhood. Between the opposite sexes?" He smiled brightly. "It means you are mated."

A few moments passed, under which Kagome's cheeks passed the color-stage of a strawberry and went straight for the tomato. "If only one party has taken the blood then?"

"Hm. That's the tricky part, cherie, but I must ask why you are asking me this?"

"Kagome-sama, if it isn't any trouble, we would also like to know. You are beginning to worry us." Miroku spoke up.

A small pang of shame twitched in her stomach as she looked over at those that had been so worried for her for the past few weeks, not knowing if she was alive or were food for demons. But then Tsukie displayed her memory of golden eyes in her memory and she blushed again.

"J-just answer. Please, Jinsoku?" Kagome gazed up at him, using her best puppy eyes at him.

He chuckled. "I will, cherie, but you are not going to like the answer."

"Why is Kagome relying so much on him, Sango?" Kagome heard Shippo stage whisper behind her. What Sango said next made her already burning blush to grow even hotter.

"Well, they maybe had much time together, or maybe she trusts him since she has his sister's soul inside her." Sango murmured. "Or maybe she has gotten over InuYasha?"

"When mated, the mates-to-be need to drink each other's blood," Jinsoku said matteroffactly, as if he, with his sensitive hearing, hadn't heard Sango. Though the miko suspected otherwise as she saw an almost unnoticeable pink splash across his nose. "Should the mating be interrupted, the one who haven't yet drunk will feel a pull towards his or hers intended until he has done what he must. Of course, the blood exchange can be a mistake too; demon blood does have a natural healing ability, but even that is counted as the beginnings of mating."

Now all eyes were on Kagome. _'Damn,'_ she thought, squirming under their gazes.

_You could have asked me, you know. Since I've mated before and all._

**You wouldn't tell me! **Kagome cried in her mind, still dodging the other's eyes.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku stared at her with scrutinizing eyes. "Are you alright?"

She whipped her head to him, hearing a small pop from her neck. "What? Oh, um – yes. Yes, I'm fine." Oh god, she felt so embarrassed! If what Tsukie and Jinsoku said was true then…! Her body grew warmer, a hot tingling that started in her stomach and spread out, rushing up and gathering in her head. She almost started to see red.

"Kagome?" She heard the other's call to her, but she paid no head. If what Tsukie told her and Jinsoku filled her in with is true then… _then_…

The warm feeling began to wear her out, making her lightheaded and slightly tipsy. Her knees suddenly gave out and she landed in a heap… not on the ground, but in the arms of her best friend, who glared down at her, worry evident in his eyes.

"Kagome?" He questioned, gathering her in his lap as he gently tapped her cheek. "Kagome, can you hear me?"

_Of course I can_, she tried to say. Instead it felt as if she were swimming in liquid, trying to push her arms up to him, show him that she can move, but instead something was weighing her down. Then she understood.

"Oh geez, girl! It's just a little blood, nothing to get all tingly for!" Tsukie huffed, pulling at Kagome's dark tresses that were splattered across her forehead. She then smiled brightly and waved at the gaping onlookers. "Hi, everyone! Missed me?" Then she looked up at InuYasha, licked her lips and moved forward, placing her lips close to his ear. "Not that I _mind_ being in your lap, but can I stand?"

The hanyou's face darkened as his own blush worked its magic. He stood quickly, not really waiting for Tsukie to stand on her own, thus causing her to fall on her rump.

"Ouch! Where are your manners, boy? I do say, when I was young, women were treated with respect and graciousness." Kagome-turned-Tsukie huffed, rubbing her bottom as she stood, but she smiled serenely nonetheless. "Now, how about we go find him, hmm, Kagome?"

_What! No! No, no, no, no! He will kill us – me, I mean! _Kagome shrieked, wanting nothing more in that moment to strangle the demoness, both for taking her freedom once more, and because of more apparent reasons. What was she thinking, going to find him? He would rather pluck out his eyes than mate with a ningen.

"Onee-san?" Jinsoku jumped down from the tree, landed with a soft thump behind the possessed miko and wrapped his arms around her. "Welcome back." He crooned and burrowed his nose in her flesh, where her shoulder met her neck.

Tsukie smiled dangerously and raised her hand, slowly stroking her little brother's cheek.

"This is so weird," Shippo murmured. Not only did her behavior change, but her scent as well! That explained some things…

Kouga growled warningly at Jinsoku, but otherwise didn't do anything. He, too, could feel the change from the woman he considered his, and he hated everything about it. Hell, he would like to wring both of those demons necks hard enough so that their heads popped off for what they had done. But then, Kagome was in the middle of it, and he would never hear an end to it when he and the miko mated how he had tried to kill her. He had seen how she was when angry. The wolf shivered. Not a pretty sight for the one on the receiving end.

That made a thought pop into his head. He glared at Tsukie, but inside those eyes he held his question, hoping he wouldn't have to voice it.

Tsukie saw, alright. But what she said next made more than one pair of eyes to bulge, almost falling from their eyesockets. "Can you imagine? Little Kagome, about to get mated! Isn't it amazing?" The deceased demon tittered, still cradling Jinsoku's cheek.

_No! Don't you dare-!_

Tsukie smiled evilly, but didn't say anything more. Kagome breathed a silent sigh of relief, thinking that maybe the demoness also had a heart somewhere in her long-gone body. But then someone had to ruin her relief.

"Who has mated with mama?" Shippo asked innocently, large green eyes gazing up at Tsukie. She stard indifferently back at him, glanced at the others who seemed just as eager to know. Then she looked back down at the kit and smiled brightly. Kagome immediately tensed, however that was even possible, since she was more mind than body now, she didn't know. Still, she felt herself go as still as a violin string.

"Why, someone we all know! Isn't that so, InuYasha?"

Silence. Then a certain wolf flew for the hanyou's throat. "Have _you_ mated with her? You little piece of-!"

InuYasha growled right back, grabbed the wolf's collar, put his naked feet on the demon's stomach and used the growling demon's momentum to throw him over himself. Kouga let out a grunt as his back connected with the recently hanyou-kissed earth, blinking dazedly up at the rapidly darkening sky.

"I haven't _touched_ the wench, damnit!" InuYasha shouted, pointing angrily at Tsukie. "Wouldn't even do it with a _stick_!"

Tsukie hissed through her teeth and tsk-ed at the irate hanyou. "Someone in here is _hurt_." She sing-sang, pointing to her chest. "But before either of you say anything; I must remind you hanyou that you technically just did. You know, me, you, your lap?"

The hanyou glowered at her, but didn't say anything. He let out an angry growl before dashing off to sulk by himself.

"Now, where is that gorgeous tall, handsome and stoic?" Tsukie asked, putting a finger to her lips in thought, reluctantly patting Jinsoku's hand around her waist to get him to free her. "Oh I know!" She exclaimed, hitting one closed fist into her other. "I will just follow him~" Then she too dashed off, leaving the rest to breath in the dust.

For some moments no one maybe a move, too dumbstruck to fully take in what had just happened. Then everyone moved at once; Kouga darted off, following Kagome's – Tsukie's – trail, Sango and Miroku jumping onto the transformed Kirara, with Shippo clinging for dear life onto Sango's shoulder. They too began to follow the rapidly disappearing runaway-miko, shouting questions that wasn't answered.

Jinsoku shook his head, amused with his sister's antics. He couldn't blame her though; being dead for over twenty years and then get this new opportunity for life… who could deny it?

He moved to follow the others when suddenly a souring pain went through the back of his head. He let out a gasp as he sank to his knees, clutching his head between his hands in a futile attempt to stop the agony that welled from within, cold spears puncturing through his mind. The reptile shook his head back and forth, slowly, silently denying what was happening.

'_I need more time, not now, please not now, she is alive, don't take her, no, no, no'_

Then it suddenly stopped. It was so unexpected that the demon fell forward, lying on his side and gasping for air as the pain subsided into a soft hum in his subconscious.

Slowly he gathered himself, pushing off the ground and onto his feet, one knee still on the ground. Without raising his head, he bowed lower. "My lord," he whispered.

First he heard nothing, as always, but then soft footfalls approached rapidly. Still, he didn't raise his throbbing head. If he did, he knew what would happen.

Soon two feet came into his lowered view. Their owner stood before him silent for a moment. Then the person bended forward and touched Jinsoku's dark green hair, a feather light pat, before it disappeared. Taking it as a sign, Jinsoku slowly raised his eyes, gazing up at the battle worn man before him.

"My lord," he murmured respectfully again, bowing ever deeper, but the man stopped him with his hand.

"Where," the old man rasped, "is the girl?"

* * *

><p><strong>Dun-dun-dun!<strong>

**No, not really. But I hope I tied some loose knots together!**

**Please review!**


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